Filippo Ganna accomplished a closing reconnaissance trip of the Zurich World Championships time trial course on Saturday afternoon however it did little to spice up his end-of-season morale. The Italian is a two-time time trial World Champion however appeared resigned to defeat, anticipating Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) to defend his 2023 title.
Ganna will maybe struggle for a medal, in opposition to Primož Roglič (Slovenian), Josh Tarling (Great Britain) and Stefan Küng (Switzerland) however isn’t at his greatest after a major dip in kind and morale after the Paris Olympics.
“There’s just one favorite and we’ll see how a lot time he beats us by,” Ganna mentioned of Evenepoel along with his traditional deadpan realism, to a small group of Italian media and Cyclingnews.
Ganna just lately stayed at altitude and skilled on the observe within the hope of discovering an end-of-season peak and a second of nationwide pleasure whereas racing for Italy. He focused each the time trial and the group pursuit in Paris, profitable a silver medal behind Evenepoel on the roads of Paris and a bronze on the observe however had hoped for not less than one gold medal.
He tried to respect his agreed Ineos Grenadiers August race programme and rode the Deutschland Tour however then give up the Renewi Tour after one stage as a consequence of fatigue.
“I’ve had some excessive and lows for the reason that Olympics. I had two choices: name it quits till 2025 or attempt to do one thing right here,” Ganna mentioned.
“I’ve tried to do one thing, to seek out some kind and to race the worlds. We’ll discover out if it was price it very quickly. I really feel good, the solar is out, morale is excessive. I do not need to look again, I need to stay up for the ultimate efforts of the season.”
Ganna was one of many final riders to finish his recon trip of the rolling Zurich 46.1km course. Every rider needed to see the steep mid-race descent by way of the bushes that leads in the direction of the shores of Lake Zurich. Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws described it as diving right into a black gap. Whoever has the braveness to take dangers there may acquire very important seconds.
“It’s a tricky course, so it will be vital to tempo your trip,” Ganna defined. “The opening kilometres are flat and quick, the place the time trial specialists can carry out properly. The climb will damage the legs and perhaps the descent is a bit harmful however it’s the identical for everybody.
“They’ve cleaned the strategy to the descent. Perhaps it wasn’t a terrific thought to incorporate it however it’s the identical for everybody. I’m simply joyful to have disc brakes.”
Ganna can even trip the Mixed Relay occasion on Wednesday however not subsequent Sunday’s highway race. He will race for Ineos Grenadiers in early October on the six-day Cro Race in Croatia, then finish his 2204 season on house roads at Gran Piemonte on October 10.
He dominated out driving the observe world championships in Denmark later in October.
“I’ll be watching from the stands with a beer in my hand…” Ganna mentioned with a smile, able to deliver down the curtain on a protracted and intense season that started again in Australia on the Tour Down Under and can embrace near 70 days of highway racing.
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