'Remco is a f*cking rocket' - Ganna concedes defeat to unstoppable Evenepoel

Filippo Ganna has acknowledged the growing difficulty of beating Remco Evenepoel in the time trial discipline after finishing a comfortable second to the Belgian at the European time trial championships

"Remco is the world champion, he just won the jersey in Rwanda and also the European jersey, so nothing to say," Ganna told Cycling Pro Net/Eurosport after the event, conceding defeat to his Belgian rival by 43 seconds. 

The former two-time world champion indicated that the windy course conditions favoured the lighter riders like Evenepoel, putting powerhouses like himself at a disadvantage, something in which he took some solace.

"For sure, the wind doesn't help me. If you see the big guys, I'm the only one in the front, the others did not arrive in the best position. I think Remco was, I don't know, maybe 60–70 kilos, so today the CdA [coefficient of aerodynamic drag] was more important compared to last," Ganna explained.

Fresh off racing the Vuelta a España, where he claimed victory in stage 18’s reduced time trial in Valladolid, Ganna was asked about his recovery process, but the Italian was quick to deflect and instead praise Evenepoel for his ability to bounce back after an attritional road race World Championships on Sunday in Kigali, Rwanda. 

"For sure, I recovered well after the Vuelta, but also him [Remco] after six and a half hours and 6,000 metres of climbing [at the World Championship Road Race], he managed a good recovery. So congrats to him, and we'll see tomorrow in the mixed relay," he added.

The result continues a spiralling trend for Ganna, with Evenepoel now having won seven of their last eight time trial encounters, including the last four. The Italian last triumphed over Evenepoel on stage 10 of the 2023 Vuelta a España, a stark contrast to their early rivalry when Ganna dominated by winning seven of their first ten professional meetings.

Speaking to In de Leiderstrui about this shifting dynamic, Ganna didn't hold back in his assessment of Evenepoel's impressive current level.

"Compared to last year, I'm riding better times, even though I'm three or four kilos lighter. That means Remco is simply a f*cking rocket, you can't say much more about that."

The overall head-to-head record between the two time trial specialists now stands at 10-8 in Evenepoel's favour, highlighting the Belgian's development as the current dominant force in the discipline.