No Ganna at Flanders despite Dwars door Vlaanderen win

Victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen is usually a firm indicator of form ahead of the Tour of Flanders, and Ganna was particularly impressive here in bouncing back from mechanical issues before catching and passing Wout van Aert in the finishing straight.

Ganna was not pencilled into the Ineos squad for Sunday’s race, even though he placed eighth in the Ronde a year ago. After the race, the Italian made clear that he has a pressing appointment at home on the shores of Lago di Maggiore on Sunday lunchtime.

“I think he needs to call my girlfriend because she’s prepared a fantastic dinner for Easter,” Ganna smiled when he was told that Ineos directeur sportif Ian Stannard had floated the possibility that he might ride the Ronde after all. 

“I would need to change the plan, but yeah, if the team asks me to start in Flanders, I’m ready to do it.”

Now it has become clear, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, that Ineos Grenadiers will rely on Magnus Sheffield, Sam Watson, Joshua Tarling and Ben Turner to continue their successful 2026 campaign.

Ganna’s initial call not to ride the Ronde was taken with his Paris-Roubaix ambitions in mind. The Hour Record holder is a contender for victory at Paris-Roubaix, a race he won as an under-23 exactly a decade ago, but he knows the Tour of Flanders is likely beyond his reach, due to the succession of climbs and the presence of Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel.

“Obviously, with big names like Tadej, Wout and Mathieu, you know the podium is really hard, but maybe I can be a support to Magnus [Sheffield], who is more of a climber than me for the steep parts,” Ganna said about a potential participation in the Tour of Flanders.

“But last year I arrived in the top 10, so... Never say never. I don’t know what to say. If I need work for the guys, I work. If the team says, ‘Filippo, you are the leader,’ then I ride as leader. I’m open in my mind.”

Last Wednesday, Remco Evenepoel confirmed his decision to make his Tour of Flanders debut at the weekend, bringing an end to months of speculation. Ganna smiled again when asked if Evenepoel’s presence might encourage him to join the party.

“I repeat, so I have dinner and my TV is like a 65-inch, so I can sit on the sofa and see the race really well…” Ganna joked and ending on a more serious note. “But yeah, if the team asks me to race, I race.”

Ganna showcased his astonishing power with his victory in Waregem, and there were distinct shades of Fabian Cancellara’s dramatic win in Compiègne on the 2007 Tour de France about the way he blasted past Van Aert within sight of the line.

The win will help to offset some of Ganna’s dismay at his lowkey showing at Milan-Sanremo, where he had entered among the favourites after placing second on the Via Roma in both 2023 and 2025.

The Italian was unable to follow Pogacar’s winning move on the Cipressa, but he showed signs of form at Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, where he played a key part in hunting down Van Aert and Van der Poel’s attack in the finale.

“This year I wanted to arrive really well for Sanremo, but maybe I didn’t recover well after Tirreno, I don’t know,” Ganna said. “The legs I had today and also in Gent-Wevelgem were completely different to Sanremo. Unfortunately, maybe the shape has arrived one week too late, but I won today that’s compensated a bit for my massive disappointment.”