Filippo Ganna wasn't supposed to ride the Tour of Flanders, but after battling with Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel at Milan-San Remo, he has decided to take on another monumental Classic battle.
The Italian fears Pogačar and Van der Poel could drop him on the decisive cobble climbs of the 'Ronde' but wants to challenge them and so himself in Belgium.
"I want to try and see what I can do. I can feel the history and importance of the race. It'll be nice to be there," Ganna told La Gazzetta dello Sport after he completed some final climbing efforts near his home in northern Italy.
Ganna did not seem overwhelmed. Paris-Roubaix remains his big goal, but he will head to this weekend's Ronde to test his limits once again, six years since he finished a modest 98th as fellow Italian Alberto Bettiol pulled off a surprise victory.
Ganna is a very different rider compared to his first season at Ineos. He still weighs around 86kg but has slimmed down and added more muscle and, thus, more power. He has won an Olympic gold medal on the track and nine time trial and team pursuit titles but has improved massively to become a true Classic contender this year.
He finished second overall at Tirreno-Adriatico after a huge effort on the final mountain stage. He then finished second at Milan-San Remo, using his power, pacing and determination to chase down Pogačar and Van der Poel time and time again before the Dutchman won the Via Roma sprint.
Last Friday, Ganna was third at the E3 Saxo Classic after another personal battle with Van der Poel and Mads Pedersen.
"At Harelbeke, I saw van der Poel close-up in a Belgian Classic. He was impressive…" Ganna said with respect but enthusiasm.
His performance on the roads and climbs of E3 Saxo Classic, which include many of those covered in the Tour of Flanders, made him Ineos Grendiers' team leader for Sunday.
"Ganna has matured even more this year. Now he is a leader even in one-day races," directeur sportif and coach Dario Coin told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The paper revealed that Ganna stayed at the Syncrosfera altitude hotel in Spain during the winter as he combined Ineos training camps with personal warm-weather camps.
Until 2023, Italian law did not allow Italian athletes to use hyperbaric chambers to replicate the benefits of altitude training. Now Ganna and other Italian riders can use the science just like every other athlete.
Ganna produced a VAM of 1745 on one short climb while doing multiple efforts on different climbs on Tuesday. He has combined his peak power with the ability to survive on climbs.
He was due to attend his sister's graduation from University on Wednesday and then travel to Belgium for the countdown to Sunday's Tour of Flanders.
"Filippo has a very versatile 'engine,'" Cioni explained. "When he's at his best, he is able to produce great performances across a wide range of efforts.
"On the track, he could set a world record in the four-kilometre pursuit but also break the Hour Record. This winter, he worked hard and avoided getting sick after that affected him a lot last year.
"It's also about his goals for the season. Last year, he wanted to peak for the Olympics in the summer and so sacrificed the first part of the season for that later peak.
"This year he's decided to peak for the spring, especially for Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix," Cioni concluded. Now, the Tour of Flanders has been added to his schedule as an extra challenge.
