Filippo Ganna wins stage one as Remco Evenepoel takes seven seconds on Tadej Pogačar at Tirreno-Adriatico
The world time trial champion wins the race against the clock on home soil
Filippo Ganna has won the opening stage one time trial of Tirreno-Adriatico 2022.
The world time trial champion rode the 13.9km-long time trial course in a time of 15-17, averaging a speed of 54.6km/h.
In second place was Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step AlphaVinyl), 10 seconds down on the Italian, while the Belgian's GC rival Tadej Pogačar was third, seven seconds further adrift, perhaps still suffering from his exploits at Strade Bianche two days ago.
Evenepoel's team-mate Kasper Asgreen was fourth, 23 seconds in arrears to Ganna's time, just ahead of Brit Alex Dowsett (Israel - Premier Tech), who spent a lot of time in the hot seat and rounds out the top five.
How it happened
Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) was the quickest of the first riders to set off, clocking a time of 16-08 over the 13.9km-long course, an average speed of 51.67km/h, with Josef Černy (Quick-Step AlphaVinyl) soon taking over the hot seat soon after.
But then Israel Premier Tech’s Alex Dowsett was out on the course, fastest with 7-26 at the intermediate split before going 20 seconds faster than Černy and settling into what would be a long stint in the hot seat.
Richie Porte (Ineos Grenadiers) soon came in with the fourth fastest time but no-one else was currently threatening going sub-16 minutes and challenging Dowsett. Julian Alaphilippe clocked a top-10 time at the intermediate check, then sealing the seventh fastest time so far, before Thymen Arensman (DSM), Tobias Ludvigsson (Groupama-FDJ), Jos Van Emden (Jumbo-Visma) and Ineos' Tao Geoghegan Hart all went sub-16 as the more serious time triallists began to warm-up, Remco Evenepoel looking stern and concentrated.
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Soon, some heavy hitters were released out onto the course, Jumbo-Visma’s Edoardo Affini and Quick-Step’s Kasper Asgreen. Richard Carapaz (Ineos) came in provisional 10th, 22 seconds adrift, before Affini just missed out on joining the five men who’d gone under 16 minutes, with 16-01.
Asgreen would finally kick Dowsett out of the hot seat, beating him by just one second, who already knew his time there would be short-lived as world time trial champion Filippo Ganna exited the start hut.
Jonas Vingegaard and Evenepoel were also now out on the course, as the Italian set the quickest time at the intermediate check, nine seconds faster than Dowsett.
Miguel Ángel López (Astana) put in a promising performance with a time of 15-59 to put himself in and around the top 10, before Ganna crossed in 15-17, smashing Asgreen's time.
Evenepoel then came through in second, 10 seconds down on Ganna, Pogačar not troubling these two at the time checks, but holding it together to only lose seven seconds to Evenepoel when he crossed the finish line.
Results
Tirreno-Adriatico 2022, stage one: Lido di Camaiore to Lido di Camaiore - ITT (13.9km)
1. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers, in 15-17
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step AlphaVinyl, at 10 seconds
3. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, at 17s
4. Kasper Asgreen (Den) Quick-Step AlphaVinyl, at 23s
5. Alex Dowsett (GBr) Israel - Premier Tech, at 25s
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM, at 27s
7. Tobias Ludviggson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ, at 31s
8. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Jumbo-Visma, at 33s
9. Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates, at 38s
10. Matteo Sobrero (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco, at same time
General Classification after stage one
1. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers, in 15-17
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step AlphaVinyl, at 10 seconds
3. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, at 17s
4. Kasper Asgreen (Den) Quick-Step AlphaVinyl, at 23s
5. Alex Dowsett (GBr) Israel - Premier Tech, at 25s
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM, at 27s
7. Tobias Ludviggson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ, at 31s
8. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Jumbo-Visma, at 33s
9. Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates, at 38s
10. Matteo Sobrero (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco, at same time
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Jonny was Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor until 2022.
I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.