Enjoying a moment of glory in his home province of Piemonte, Filippo Ganna won the time trial and donned the inaugural race leader’s maglia rosa when the 2021 Giro d’Italia got underway in Turin.
The Corsa Rosa starts in Turin this year as well. On Sunday and Monday, there are additional stages in Piemonte. Although Ganna’s goals and prospects for achievement are different, her drive for ambition endures.
Ganna lived up to expectations by winning the 8.6 km city center time trial in 2021, repeating his early success in 2020 in Sicily. He was the overwhelming favorite. This year, as an outsider, he has the opportunity to exploit his strength and finish quickly following the 140-kilometer road stage that takes him from Veneria Reale to the city center.
There are a few late climbs in the first stage, but Ganna is riding well and might be included in the smaller group that is anticipated to battle for the victory in central Turin. Should he choose to compete aggressively on the Superga, Colle Maddalena, and the relatively short but steep San Vito climb that concludes just three kilometers from the finish, he may have to sprint against Tadej Pogačar, Julian Alaphilippe, and other competitors.
In keeping with his persona, Ganna downplayed his chances while admitting that he and Ineos Grenadiers had prepared for the stage. Nothing is at the mercy of chance.
Before disclosing his goals, Ganna said, “Things are different this year compared to 2021; a road stage compared to a time trial stage is more complex and so more open.”
We’ve made an effort to replicate the style of racing we’ll be doing on Saturday by cycling up many little hills. On race day, things will be completely different; we’ll do our best, but there are riders who could hurt us. If everything goes well, we’ll rejoice.
