Ganna storms to Vuelta TT win

INEOS Grenadiers (Spain) - Press Release: Stage 10 ITT » Valladolid › Valladolid, 25.8km

Filippo Ganna stormed to the win in La Vuelta’s stage 10 time trial. The success marks the Italian’s seventh Grand Tour stage victory, and his first in the Spanish three-week race.

Ganna started early in the day, and set a rapid time, averaging 56km/h on a flat course around Valladolid. 

As the field rolled in, it was clear that the GC men would prove to be the toughest test. But Ganna’s time would prove impossible to beat, with few coming within one minute of the two-time world champion.

Jonathan Castroviejo also put in a solid ride, finishing twelfth on the day, with Geraint Thomas rounding out the top 20, despite a brief mechanical issue.

Results:

1. Filippo Ganna 
2. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), +16''
3. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), +36’’
4. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), +50’’
5. Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe), +52’’

Reactions:

Filippo Ganna:

“I’m really happy. After the Giro coming here and trying to win was my goal and my dream. Today I can say we were able to do that. Now we think about how to finish the Vuelta. We have another two weeks and we will try again [for more victories]. 

 “After the Worlds I pushed a lot to come here with G. We worked a lot before the Giro and also after. To be here is amazing and to fight for the top positions is hard, but we will keep trying.” 

Geraint Thomas:

 “You’ve just got to laugh really haven’t you. I thought I’d treat it like I was going full from the start this morning. I attacked it from the start as I thought, even if I sit up half-way round, it’s still doing me good for tomorrow. If I don’t do much I block up and I can feel terrible." 

 “A good hit out was what I wanted anyway and I actually felt okay. I was kind of doing the numbers that were on the plan. But then the chain got stuck so I had to change bikes. Then I thought I’d still push a bit, but switched off and rode it in – treated it as a nice little warm up for the rest of the week.

 “I think as a team we just have to start every day like it’s a one-day [race] really. Make the moves, because you never know if a breakaway might go. At the same time, it could be a GC day as well, but I think we just need to race it and race every day as best as we can. We just have to keep our heads up and keep trying.”