Filippo Ganna kept the Tirreno-Adriatico race leader's blue jersey on Tuesday as his friend and fellow Italian track rider Jonathan Milan won the sprint stage in Follonica. It was a second day of success from the two most successful and most admired Italian riders in the peloton and a second day of race leadership for Ineos Grenadiers.
With the peloton riding steady southward near the Tuscan coast, Ganna could enjoy his day as race leader. A year ago he lost the opening time trial to Juan Ayuso after a troubled winter of illness. This year he is leaner, happier and fitter, arguably reflecting the atmosphere inside Ineos Grenadiers.
"Winning the time trial was good for my morale, for the week ahead and the month ahead. I've got some big goals coming up and some big races," Ganna explained.
"We've started on the right foot, now we have to move forward, accelerate and then start running.
"Last year I had an unlucky winter, I was sick, I had an ear infection and took antibiotics for more than a month. I went to the Tour Down Under but then struggled to get back to my best. That only happened in the summer at the Olympics when I did a great time trial to win a silver medal before taking bronze in the team pursuit."
Ineos Grenadiers have shaken up their Performance staff for 2025, let Tom Pidcock move to Q36.5 and tried to reboot for 2025. Ganna is now coached by Dajo Sanders, while Dario Cioni remains his trusted time trial and aerodynamics guide.
Whatever happens in the British team in the months and years to come, Ganna has a contract until 2027 and is a team leader and cornerstone of the squad. This year he will target Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and then the time trial stages at the Tour de France.
Ganna is trying to lead Ineos Grenadiers' return to success after the problems of 2024
"For sure we're improved. We've tried to make the step up that didn't happen last year," he explained.
"We've already won five races this year and it's only the start. We've got to get back to being the great Ineos team we once were."
Ganna spent long spells in the warmth of Gran Canaria this winter instead of the cold and rain of his home in northern Italy.
He revealed that he and Ineos Grenadiers have worked on his time trial position, taking a step back in wind tunnel tests to find a more comfortable and aerodynamically efficient position.
"I'm also doing more specific training and that's also made a difference," Ganna confirmed.
"I won't race on the track for a while but I've done some track training sessions for the time trial and that made a difference on Monday in the time trial."
For Ganna, the remaining five days of Tirreno-Adriatico will be a vital block of racing and a test for Milan-San Remo.
He finished second in La Classicissima in 2023 after Mathieu van der Poel got away alone on the Poggio, beating Wout Van Aert and Tadej Pogačar in the Via Roma. He again fancies his chances on the Poggio on March 22.
Ganna always tries to avoid making predictions and promises but faces ten days of important racing in Italy.
"It could be a good week of hard work but also offer more opportunities," he said.
"For sure it's going to be an insane week, the weather will be a big factor and Wednesday is a tough, long stage at 240km in the bad weather. I'm going to suffer, like always.”
