Filippo Ganna ditches ‘extreme’ TT position in key aero decision before Evenepoel showdown

Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos) believes the largely flat World Championships time trial course in Montréal gives him a genuine opportunity to challenge Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), although the Italian accepts that the defending champion remains the clear favourite.

Ganna is searching for a third elite time trial world title after his victories in 2020 and 2021. To claim another rainbow jersey, however, he will likely have to overcome a rider who has dominated the discipline in recent seasons.

Evenepoel has won each of the last three World Championships time trials, as well as the Olympic title in 2024 and the European title in 2025.

Ganna's last time trial victory over the Belgian came at the 2023 Vuelta a España.

“Yes, without a doubt,” Ganna told La Gazzetta dello Sport when asked whether Evenepoel should be considered the favourite in Montréal.

“Recent history proves it. The last time I beat him in a time trial was at the 2023 Vuelta. That was three years ago.”

Despite Evenepoel's recent superiority, Ganna does not view beating him as an impossible task.

The 39.2km Montréal course contains around 220 metres of elevation gain and is predominantly flat, although the road rises towards the finish. Those characteristics should suit the powerful Italian better than a more mountainous route.

“If he’s at 100%, he’s a really tough nut to crack, especially if there’s a climb on the course,” Ganna said.

“The Montréal route, however, is mostly flat, with 220 metres of elevation gain over 39.2 kilometres, though the road does tend to rise towards the end.”

That gives Ganna confidence that the gap between the two riders can be much smaller than on a hillier course.

“In a scenario like that, I can stay pretty close to him. Then, if he wins, I’ll congratulate him. If not, it’ll mean I was faster.”

Ganna has spent much of the season working on a more aggressive aerodynamic position, lowering his upper body while keeping the saddle at the same height.

Although he is becoming more comfortable with it, he is unlikely to use the position in Montréal.

“I’m starting to feel fairly comfortable in this slightly more ‘extreme’ position,” Ganna explained. “But over an effort of around 45 minutes, I’ll probably stick with the more traditional one.”

The setup closes his hip angle and improves his aerodynamic profile, but has also caused physical issues.

“I’ve lowered my position on the handlebars while keeping the saddle height the same. This closes the hip angle significantly, but my leg was tending to go numb. I’ve worked a lot with my physio Piero Baffi to get used to it and become more aerodynamic.”

Ganna had already tested the position before the Giro d'Italia, but muscular inflammation and the risk of pubalgia forced him to abandon it.

“Not many people know this, but the week before the Giro I almost feared I wouldn’t be able to start,” he revealed.

Since then, he has worked on improving his back flexibility and gradually adapting to the lower position, including during his recent training camp in Livigno.

“If this Worlds time trial had been shorter, we would have used it.”

After a long season featuring the Classics, Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, Ganna said the Montréal course gave him the motivation to target another major result.

“I found it in the Canadian course, where I think I can bring something of my own and change how the story ends,” he said. “I tried to arrive here in the best possible shape.”

Two near misses at the Tour added further motivation. “At the Tour I came close to winning twice, but the full result never arrived. That gave me some extra competitive anger, to try to make up for it.”

Ganna and Evenepoel also crossed paths during altitude training in Livigno, although they stayed in different accommodation.

Their time trial rivalry stretches back to the 2019 World Championships, when Evenepoel finished second and Ganna third, and has since developed into one based on mutual respect.

“Yes, I think it’s a great rivalry. There’s mutual respect, neither of us envies the other,” Ganna said. “We’re two different athletes with different characteristics. But we’re both fast in time trials.”

Ganna still considers his 2021 world title in Bruges, ahead of Wout van Aert and Evenepoel, one of his finest memories. The defeat that hurt most came in Zürich in 2024, where Evenepoel beat him by six seconds over 46 kilometres.

“The world title in Bruges, won ahead of Van Aert and Remco, remains a beautiful memory,” he said. “At the World Championships in Zürich in 2024, which I wasn’t even supposed to race, I lost by only six seconds after 46 kilometres. That hurt. But that’s sport.”