Palermo, Italy
World champion Filippo Ganna produced a flying performance on Saturday to win the Giro d’Italia’s opening day time-trial in Palermo and claim the 21-day race’s first pink jersey as overall leader.
The 24-year-old Ganna’s Ineos team captain Geraint Thomas was fourth on the day, completing the tricky 15.1km inner-city course more than a minute faster than most of his pre-race rivals for the overall title.
On his first Grand Tour former track specialist Ganna was the man to beat Saturday after winning the individual world time-trial title a week ago.
Ganna completed the slightly downhill 15.1km in a furious 15min 24sec, or at an average speed of 58.831km/h, just slightly outside the Giro stage speed record set almost 20 years ago in Pescara by Rik Verbrugghe. Still wearing his rainbow time-trial winner’s shirt the 193cm (6ft 4in) rider slipped on the Giro leader’s pink jersey presented by the mayor of Palermo.
“Both these jerseys are wonderful, but maybe this one, here today, feels better,” said Ganna with a huge smile.
“Today I knew was one of the hot favourites but I tried to stay calm. We did it, what a great result and what a thrill to wear the ‘Maglia Rosa’ on my first Giro, which is a good omen for the rest of the race.”
The 2018 Tour de France champion Thomas went down the ramp earlier than many key rivals and completed his race in less windy conditions.
He goes into Sunday’s run across the Sicilian valleys 26 seconds ahead of Simon Yates, over a minute faster than double Giro champion Vincenzo Nibali, and more than 1min 20sec ahead of Steven Kruijswijk of Jumbo-Visma and Jakob Fuglsang of Astana.—AFP
