Ganna was "downcast" due to Pogacar, but has good news for Arensman and Thomas after critical victory

Tadej Pogacar seemed to make the race briefly exciting at checkpoint one, but ultimately, there was no matching time trial expert Filippo Ganna, who, after a 'failed' attempt in the first Giro time trial, now clinched the victory in this one. The Italian of INEOS Grenadiers was clearly relieved after the race, winning his first time trial since the Vuelta a España in 2023. He made a special point of thanking Tadej Pogacar.

"It was really tough," Ganna began in one of the many flash interviews. "I was just talking about it with Jonathan Milan, who came to sit with me for a bit. For a sprinter like him, it's just seventy seconds full throttle and then you know if you've won. For me, it's different. I had to wait two hours in the hot seat. That makes you feel a lot of different emotions. Winning in your home country always feels just a little bit sweeter, especially when it has been so long. It feels like a special moment, especially since Lake Garda feels like a second home to me."

Ganna, born in Verbania close to the popular lake, even becomes a bit emotional during the interview. He regains his composure when confronted with the statistic that this was his sixth time trial victory in the Giro d'Italia. "That's wonderful. The team also did a fantastic job. We did really well with Geraint and Thymen (Arensman, ed.)," he says, pointing out the third and fourth places of his two teammates. Thomas is now second in the GC, Arensman sixth.

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Ganna thanks Pogacar for great fight

It is safe to say that the stars did align for Ganna and INEOS Grenadiers, and it was much needed. The time trial had recently been a struggle for the two-time world champion in this discipline. "Sometimes you have tough times and little things make the difference. We went into the wind tunnel to improve my position and on the flat part of the time trial in Perugia (on day seven, ed.), I was already doing very well."

While Ganna was beaten in Perugia by Pogacar's masterful final climb, the time trial around Lake Garda was entirely flat. "This time trial suited me better, although Pogacar challenged me again. I have to thank him for that because he motivates me. I really needed this victory. People sometimes think it's a given that when Ganna starts a time trial, he wins. But it's not that simple. This victory gives me a lot of satisfaction and motivates me for the tough stages in the final week."

"After the time trial in Perugia, I was dropped on the first climb and rode the whole day in the gruppetto. Maybe I was a bit downcast then, but from that point on, I've put all my energy into this Giro," he explains. "My full focus is on finishing this Giro as strong as possible. Sunday will be very tough, although that really applies to the entire final week. You could call it very intense. We will have to fight with our hearts."