Filippo Ganna trained in the Paris rain on Friday, knowing that the roads of the Olympic time trial course could be wet during Saturday’s race and so especially testing as well as very fast.
Italy's Ganna is one of the favourites for a gold medal but knows that Ineos Grenadiers teammate Josh Tarling (Great Britain) and current World Champion Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) are huge threats to his ambitions.
Evenepoel won the world title in Glasgow last September, beating Ganna by just 12 seconds after 47.8km of racing in Stirling. Tarling was third that day 36 seconds off Ganna but has risen to the upper echelons of time trialling at just 20 years old.
The 32.4 km Olympic time trial is flat and fast on an out-and-back course from the city centre and Les Invalides to the Bois de Vincennes and back, so time gaps could be much smaller. The medals could be decided by a single error during the expected 55 km/h men’s race, a wrong line, hitting a pothole or going too cautiously into or out of a wet curve.
Italy is hoping the stars align for its big star Ganna. Exactly ten years ago, on July 27, 2014, Vincenzo Nibali was crowned the winner of the Tour de France in Paris.
“To win I need great legs, the race of my life and without making any mistakes,” Ganna told the Italian media in Paris.
“I think I’ve done the work and don’t feel the pressure of being at the Olympics. Of course, it is always special to pull on the Italian colours and ride for your country.”
Ganna has raced for over 50 days with Ineos Grenadiers and won the second time trial stage at the Giro d’Italia but the Olympics was always his big goal for 2024. While some of the time trial contenders will go on to ride next Saturday’s road race, Ganna will head home to Italy for some final track training before again leading Italy’s hopes in the team pursuit, with the medal event arriving on August 7.
Italy won the gold medal in Tokyo in 2021 thanks to a final effort from Ganna.
“I’ve trained like a decathlete, I’ve done endurance work on the road and then explosive training on the track,” Ganna explained.
“I’ve slept at home just once since the Giro d’Italia, spending time at the velodrome, at road races and then at altitude, at 2,800 metres. It was great, my phone was off, the air was cold and there were spectacular views across the Alps. I’ve done the hard work, now I just don't want any regrets.”
Several of Ganna’s rivals have criticised the roads of the Paris time trial, with Evenpeoel even calling the opening and final five kilometres ‘shitty’.
“It’s a tough course, Ganna said. The roads are never really flat and so you’re always pushing. It’s fast but you need to get your pacing right and have something left for the final kilometres.”
Ganna has two chances for a medal in Paris, in the time trial and the track but knows they could be his last.
“I raced in Rio in 2016 after we got a late call-up for the team pursuit. Tokyo was a success but I want to make a splash in Paris for Italy. It could be my last ever Olympics. I’m 28 and Los Angeles seems a long way away.”
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