Giro stage 10 preview - Time trial time as GC gaps loom large

A time trial immediately after a rest day always carries a certain uncertainty. Some riders respond well after a day away from racing, others need time to find their rhythm again. On this course, there will be little room to hide.

Key information:

• Start: 13:15 (CET)
• Estimated Finish: 17:20 (CET)
• Stage type: time trial 
• Stage length: 42km
• Elevation gain: 22m
• Start times can be found here

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The course is flat and largely non-technical, with very few corners and almost no climbing. The biggest obstacle is quite literally a bridge, but the simplicity of the route should not be mistaken for an easy day.

At 42 kilometres, this is a long effort by modern Grand Tour standards. With so few technical sections, riders will spend most of the day locked in position, pushing constant power with almost no chance to recover. The absence of corners can make the effort even more punishing: there are few natural breaks, few moments to ease off, and little margin for error in pacing.

The result should be significant time gaps, both among the time trial specialists and the general classification contenders.

Key points

• First intermediate point - 25.5km to go
• Second intermediate point - 13.5km to go
• Third intermediate point - 4km to go

Rain is expected in the morning, but the forecast suggests the riders should complete the time trial in dry conditions. The key question is whether the roads will have dried fully by the time the first riders roll down the start ramp.

Filippo Ganna starts as the clear favourite. Netcompany INEOS have the strongest candidate for stage victory, and on a flat, powerful course like this, there are few riders who can match the Italian’s engine. If Ganna is close to his best, he will be very difficult to beat.

The same team also has several other cards to play. Thymen Arensman is a strong time trialist and will be aiming to take time on his rivals in the fight for the podium. Magnus Sheffield should also enjoy the profile. The lack of corners is a clear advantage for a rider with his power, especially given his occasional struggles through technical sections.

For Alec Segaert, this is the biggest target of his Giro d’Italia. The Bahrain Victorious rider is well suited to a long, flat time trial, where his steady diesel engine can really come into play.

Johan Price-Pejtersen (Alpecin Premier-Tech) should also be watched closely. Long, flat time trials are increasingly rare in modern racing, but this one suits him almost perfectly. 

Max Walscheid is another rider who can benefit from the parcours, with Lidl-Trek hoping he can turn raw power into a major result. Matteo Sobrero gives the team another strong option, while Derek Gee-West will be focused on gaining time against other general classification riders.

Rémi Cavagna appears to have rediscovered something like his old level at Groupama-FDJ United. After two difficult seasons in which he struggled to find his best form, the Frenchman looks more like the rider who once made flat time trials his speciality. This stage is a real opportunity for him.

Unibet Rose Rockets will look to Niklas Larsen for a result. His ceiling is high, but his performances can be hard to predict. On a good day, he can be close to the top of the standings.

Other riders to watch include Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Alan Hatherly (Jayco AlUla), Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)and Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility).

Jonas Vingegaard’s absence from the list of favourites may raise eyebrows, but the explanation lies in the parcours. This is a heavy, grinding test rather than a course for pure climbers, and it is unlikely to play naturally to the Dane’s lighter build.

The profile points more towards riders with diesel engines and the ability to sustain power over rolling, demanding terrain. That helps explain the presence of GC contenders such as Thymen Arensman and Derek Gee among the leading names.

For clarity, the overall contenders will be assessed separately later in this preview, each with their own individual star rating.

Then there is Alberto Bettiol. The XDS Astana Team rider is difficult to assess. He is capable of producing a world-class ride, but he can also disappoint when everything seems set up for a big performance. That makes him the joker of the day. He may not go all in, but if he does, he has the ability to surprise.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Ganna

⭐⭐⭐⭐  Segaert, Arensman

⭐⭐⭐  Sheffield, Price-Pejtersen, Walscheid

⭐⭐  Cavagna, Gee-West, Sobrero, Larsen

⭐  Milesi, Hatherly, Leknessund, Bjerg, Oliveira

🃏  Bettiol

For this time trial, which could have a major impact on the final general classification, it is worth setting expectations for the main GC riders as well.

With Thymen Arensman and Derek Gee-West already listed among the favourites, both are clearly expected to perform strongly.

Markel Beloki should also be well suited to this test. The EF Education-EasyPost rider looks capable of producing a strong ride by GC standards, especially if he is serious about targeting the overall classification at this Giro.

In the three-star category, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike), Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla) and Mathys Rondel (Tudor) stand out as steady and reliable options. They may not be expected to challenge the pure specialists, but all three look like riders who should deliver a solid time trial and avoid major losses.

The two-star group is a little harder to predict. Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe),Michael Storer (Tudor) and Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) are all capable of producing a respectable time trial, but they have also shown in the past that they can lose significant time in this discipline. Eulálio is a slightly different case, as he has never truly gone all in for a time trial before. Wearing the maglia rosa, however, could give him an extra push.

The riders in the one-star category will mainly be looking to limit their losses. For them, this time trial is less about gaining time and more about surviving the day without serious damage.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Arensman

⭐⭐⭐⭐  Gee-West, Beloki

⭐⭐⭐  Vingegaard, O'Connor, Rondel

⭐⭐  Hindley, Storer, Pellizzari, Eulálio

⭐  Caruso, Gall, Piganzoli, Bernal, Hirt