LIDO DI CAMAIORE (LU) – Like Pogacar the other day in Siena, Ganna is happy as it happens when you have worked hard without references and the victory confirms that you did it well. After Tadej and Van der Poel, another of the three from Sanremo has made a splashOn the seafront, the sun forced everyone to take off their jackets and sweaters. Pippo is wearing the Tirreno leader's jersey, and the tricolor bodysuit is visible from his collar. He won the Versilia time trial in 12'08" at an average speed of 56,858A train, whizzing across the finish line with a whoosh. Of the 38 victories achieved so far, 31 have come on time trials.
"Yes, I may have won 38," Ganna smiles, in high spirits. "But how many second places are there? They're as many as there are victories, so we need to invest and improve. You have to stay updated because from victory to second place sometimes it's a hair's breadth, sometimes it's nothing at all, sometimes it's an eternity.Last year at the European Championships I saw how in the most suitable spots for me I could defend myself even against Remco, but where the road goes uphill, weight makes the difference.
«I lose a lot of seconds, so every time I have to try to be faster where I can and limit the damage where I can't be fastRumors say that the time trial at the next Olympics will have an uphill finish, so maybe I'll have to concentrate on other things (laughs, ed.)».
The Italian public cheered him as every year, in this time trial that has become a classic and in the morning saw among the juniors Patrick Pezzo Rosola's victory, also with shoe covers Ineos Grenadiers who a few days ago joined his Nord Est Petrucci Assali Stefen. His mother Paola, two Olympic gold medalists in mountain biking, we saw her in the last kilometer waiting for the last riders to pass before leaving.
But in the meantimeGanna answers and speaks, with the desire to tell his storyThis morning before the start, Marco Villa told us that after the Volta ao Algarve, his protégé went to train alone, often on a motorbike, in Gran Canaria, and that he therefore arrived here a little tired.
Like Pogacar and Van der Poel: is solo training Ganna's new key to success?
This year I've spent a lot of time training in the heat. In Gran Canaria, I first had a week with a sore throat and a cough due to the change in climate. But I didn't let it get me down, I knew I had to train anyway. to achieve the goals I had set myself during the winter. So I remained focused for a long timeI had different companions in this adventure, at the beginning with Matteo (sobrero, ed.), then teammates in various training camps. But yes, a lot of training alone.
And how did it go?
When I thought about giving up, I had in mind the main objective of the season which is obviously the SanremoBut I didn't want to overdo it either, and the coach pulled the brake on me more than once. And he told me: "Filippo, we're not in good shape now, the objectives are further ahead." So I hope to be on the right course, under the right conditions, without having given too much or too little.
Can this victory be considered a response to what Van der Poel did at Omloop Nieuwsblad and Pogacar at Strade Bianche?
Let's say they are different races, they are different types of races. I have great respect for these two ridersI think Tadej came back from the winter showing that he is really strong. And Mathieu himself He's been doing great things all winter. Anyway I can't compare myself to the same standard, but I think I did everything I could to get an excellent result.
You said there's room for investment and improvement in time trials: how much have bikes changed in the last ten years?
In the end I think that the situation has already changed a lot with disc brakesToday we also saw Van Aert start with a double lenticular. There's so much technology progressing, so many beautiful and interesting things, because if we stayed with rod brakes it would be a strange situation. The whole world would continue to evolve and we would remain stationary. The only thing that hasn't changed over the years is still pinning the number. It's reminiscent of cycling from the past and is a bit hilarious. Everyone checks the aerodynamics, then the number is pinned on trying to make it as close as possible.
You said you didn't feel 100 percent, yet you won: do you think that's a good sign?
Maybe I still don't have the muscle elasticity I had until a few years ago, perhaps age is starting to take its toll. You say I'm still young, but I'm starting to feel like one of the older members of the group. I hope my fitness level improves in the next few days and gives me what I need to get to where it matters most. I'm certainly aware that I've worked well. Maybe I haven't achieved the fitness I wanted yet, but I learned that even when your legs aren't the best, your head can make the difference.
You said you spoke a lot about Sanremo with Piero Baffi, almost as if you were seeking feedback outside of the technical circle. Do you prefer a less formal discussion?
Unlike many, I don't have any mental coach, I prefer to compare myself with friends who perhaps know less about cycling, because I like to hear the perspective of someone who isn't an expert. The expert clearly has his own opinion and can immediately assess a performance's positive or negative aspects. I like to compare notes with friends and family because They certainly don't have watts, power supply and all that stuff in their heads. And I'm a little more watered down. I prefer having a discussion like this rather than a detailed one.
Can we say that Ganna doesn't like overly scientific cycling?
This year I tried to follow the diet meticulously and after a week I skipped itSo I continued to do what I was doing before and maybe I'll be able to get back to last year's levels, which seemed more than decent to me. But I noticed that at certain times I ate less than I should havePerhaps due to my ignorance, I mistook eating less for a way to lose weight, but by eating more, I have less of a deficit and it helps me lose weight faster. I like methodical cycling, I like research, but I'm not exasperated like many others.
Like who, for example?
Every now and then on social media I see the reels that are passed to me, where very young children are already following diets or weight control. What makes me smile is thinking that I won my first World Cup eating Nutella, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Nutrition is important, being methodical is important, but I think that lightness of mind is much more important.
Speaking of lightness, is having Viviani and Geraint Thomas on the flagship an added value?
Cioni was supposed to be here, but he's sick and I say goodbye: "Hi Dario, come back here soon!" (laughs, ed.). Leo Basso followed me and pushed me wellI always saw Elia as a sporting director even when he was my teammate, because I've always asked him for a lot of advice and I've always wanted to talk to him. I think having him and Thomas by my side gives me the peace of mind that I can take myself wherever I want without being too heavy-headed or too much pressure.
Will you try to defend the jersey?
Honestly, until today I hadn't thought that tomorrow there is a dirt road and it could be a classification stage. I was left alone at the time trial, I didn't think about tomorrow. There will definitely be various meetings with the directors and coaches this evening when I get to the hotel, and we'll also be thinking about tomorrow. We'll try to see the end and figure out how to approach it, how to arrive in the best possible condition to also help our teammates. I will try to defend myself without overdoing it. and if in the next few days we were to have a day of personal glory, I would be equally happy.
The goal is something else, in short…
I'm here to find the best possible feeling to face the next few weeks and I can't wait for the one between Tirreno and the Sanremo so I can get some rest. The day I put my ping, if the result comes, I will be very happy. If it doesn't, it means someone was stronger than me.
