Filippo Ganna

Filippo Ganna is an Italian top time trialist for INEOS Grenadiers. At a very young age, he has already achieved world-class status in this discipline. IDLProCycling.com keeps a close eye on all news related to Ganna, along with maintaining a biography of his career.

Time trialist Ganna breaks through in 2019

From early on, it was clear that Ganna was a strong time trialist. During his youth, he won several championships and competed with the best in international competitions. He proved he was more than just a time trial specialist by winning Paris-Roubaix for under-23 riders in 2016. Thanks to these excellent performances, he made his professional debut with UAE Team Emirates in 2017.

Ganna's initial year with UAE Team Emirates saw him earn respectable results in time trials, including a 5th place finish in the Tour of California, 12th in the national championships, and 9th in the European championships. His progression continued in 2018, beginning with a strong second place in the time trial and securing the white jersey at the Tour de San Juan. He narrowly missed the national championship time trial title, finishing a close second, just two seconds behind winner Gianni Moscon.

Joining Team INEOS and his final breakthrough

Ganna's impressive performances caught the attention of Team INEOS. The British team signed him in 2019 and in his first race of the year, he clinched a victory in an individual time trial at the Tour de La Provence, finishing nine seconds ahead of Sebastian Langeveld. His momentum continued with a fifth place in the Tirreno-Adriatico time trial and a third in the Tour de Romandie. He then claimed the national championship time trial title and won a time trial stage at the BinckBank Tour. At the World Championships in Harrogate, Ganna showcased his world-class abilities by finishing third, just behind Rohan Dennis and Remco Evenepoel.

The move to Team INEOS proved to be a wise decision, as evident from his first year with the team. In 2020, Ganna stepped up his game significantly. After the break due to the pandemic, he seemed unstoppable in time trials. He first defended his national title by significantly outpacing his compatriots. He then won the final time trial in the Tirreno-Adriatico and outperformed Wout Van Aert and Stefan Küng at the World Championships in Imola, claiming gold. This was just the beginning of what would be an incredible run in the Giro d’Italia.

Giro d’Italia 2020 and 2021: Six victories for Ganna

The Giro d’Italia turned out to be a miraculous tour for the British team. Teo Geoghegan Hart emerged as a surprise winner, taking the overall victory after teammate Geraint Thomas had to withdraw. Almost as impressive was Ganna's own performance in this unique Giro, which was nearly won by Dutch rider Wilco Kelderman.

Ganna achieved four victories, three in time trials and even one mountain stage. He dominated his rivals in every time trial, but his most eye-catching win was in the fifth stage. In this mountain stage, he proved to be the strongest in a large breakaway group, showing he could not only excel against the clock but also against other riders.

In 2021, Ganna reaffirmed his prowess in the Giro with two resounding time trial victories. At the Tokyo Olympics, he missed out on a medal on a hilly course, but he redeemed himself at the World Championships in Belgium. There, Ganna overtook home favorites Wout van Aert and himself to secure another world title, after being previously beaten by Stefan Küng at the European Championships in his home country. For 2022, Ganna announced his intention to focus on the classics for the first time...

Ganna sets new World Hour Record and success on the track, but less on the road

Ganna's road campaign in 2022 didn't go as planned. His ambitions in the classics resulted in a 51st place in Milan-San Remo and 35th in Paris-Roubaix. He did become the Italian national time trial champion, but his performance in the Tour de France was underwhelming, securing only a fourth and fifth place in the time trials. At the European Championships, he managed only a bronze, and the World Championships ended in disappointment, with Ganna placing seventh and losing his world champion title. However, his track performance was more successful: at the World Championships, he claimed gold in the individual pursuit, setting a new world record. He also attempted the world hour record, obliterating Dan Bigham's previous record by covering an impressive 56.792 kilometers in Grenchen, Switzerland.

In 2023, Ganna focused more on the classics, which paid off. The Italian finished second behind Mathieu van der Poel in Milan-San Remo and put in a strong performance in Paris-Roubaix, finishing sixth. His attention then turned to the Giro d'Italia, but Remco Evenepoel proved too strong in the opening time trial, and Ganna had to leave the race on the seventh day due to Covid.

Evenepoel also outpaced Ganna at the World Championships time trial in Glasgow. However, Ganna didn't let this setback deter him: in the Vuelta time trial, he managed to beat Evenepoel, and he also showcased his sprinting abilities in the Spanish race. Although he didn't win any sprints, he finished second three times.