Giro d'Italia 2026 spoilers

[No Ta Doctor]

Just in order to keep my hopes up of the Giro being entertaining....
Did he have any incentive to really try in those TTs?

I come not to raise your hopes, but to bury them

I doubt anyone enters the u23 Nationals TT with the idea of just pootling round saving energy for the roads race later in the week. Failing to crack the top ten in the u23 TT in Portugal in three attempts doesn't inspire massive confidence that he's been hiding his light under a bushel

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Thing is, he did one utterly brilliant (lumpy) ITT in the tour in 2023 and that has rather skewed perceptions.

Well it has mine, at least.

There was that one, and the one he gifted to van Aet the year before (also plenty if climbing and descending). 2nd to Pog in the stage 21 Monaco-> Nice mtn TT
He did get 7th in the short stage 1 TT in the Tour in Copenhagen (13km, no climbs)

 

[gsk82]

Thing is, he did one utterly brilliant (lumpy) ITT in the tour in 2023 and that has rather skewed perceptions.

Well it has mine, at least.

You're understating it. That was the greatest ride of all time.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

You're understating it. That was the greatest ride of all time.

It was a masterpiece - superb climbing and demon descending, and utilised his 3rd week strength to its fullest
Greatest ride of all time is going some though

 

[mididoctors]

Eualio. Out side bet on youth jersey I guess .top.10 GC . Climbing as well as the red bull guys. Once out of the pink jersey he might just collapse . Nothing to.ridr for dynamic.

 

[mididoctors]

. Stage 10 Viareggio - Massa ITT 42km

Flat wind light SSW

 

[Blazing Saddles]

Ganna I suppose. There don’t seem to be too many specialists in the field. Maybe young Alec Segaert can podium?

 

[Dogtrousers]

17° mostly cloudy. Light breeze. Some sites suggest light showers, others no rain.

 

[Pross]

I come not to raise your hopes, but to bury them

I doubt anyone enters the u23 Nationals TT with the idea of just pootling round saving energy for the roads race later in the week. Failing to crack the top ten in the u23 TT in Portugal in three attempts doesn't inspire massive confidence that he's been hiding his light under a bushel

Team obligations?

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Team obligations?

Obligations that require him to enter an individual race, but not do well in it? Sounds a little far fetched to me tbh. If you need a straw to clutch it's that he's got plenty of room for improvement, so there may be better performance out there for him.

 

[Pblakeney]

Obligations that require him to enter an individual race, but not do well in it? Sounds a little far fetched to me tbh. If you need a straw to clutch it's that he's got plenty of room for improvement, so there may be better performance out there for him.

There may be obligations to enter. That doesn't necessarily mean that he'd be enthusiastic to put a lot of effort into probably not winning anyway. Getting close doesn't count in a day race whereas it does in a stage race. I guess we'll find out either way in a few hours.

Edit - PS, he is racing Vingegaard, not Ganna.

 

[mididoctors]

Ganna off the ramp about a hour's time ... 1:20pm GMT BST ISH

 

[mididoctors]

Max w 42:10

52kmh

 

[mididoctors]

Ganna on the road

 

[T4tomo]

There may be obligations to enter. That doesn't necessarily mean that he'd be enthusiastic to put a lot of effort into probably not winning anyway. Getting close doesn't count in a day race whereas it does in a stage race. I guess we'll find out either way in a few hours.

Edit - PS, he is racing Vingegaard, not Ganna.

There must be a lot of riders who enter their national championships Road Race and ITT that have no hope in one or the other, or both for some.