Cycling – Tirreno-Adriatico (E1): Ayuso beats Ganna by a second in the time trial

2024-03-04 15:08:23

Published on March 4, 2024 at 4:08 p.m. – updated on March 4, 2024 at 4:26 p.m.

Aurélie Sacchelli

The Spaniard from the UAE Emirates team Juan Ayuso won the inaugural Tirreno-Adriatico time trial, beating Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), a specialist in this stage, by a second.

If some of the best runners in the world are crossing France this week, between Paris and Nice, another part is crossing Italy, on the occasion of the 59th edition of Tirreno-Adriatico. Riders like Jonas Vingegaard, Jai Hindley, Ben O’Connor, Enric Mas, Guillaume Martin and Romain Bardet took the start this Monday for this seven-stage World Tour race which will allow us to know where the big names are at the end of the year. winter. As tradition dictates, this Tirreno-Adriatico began with a flat 10-kilometer time trial in the streets of Lido di Camaiore, this town on the Mediterranean coast located north of Pisa. Filippo Ganna, winner of this stage in 2020, 2022 and 2023, once again started as favorite, but he was beaten by a second by Juan Ayuso! The 21-year-old Spaniard, member of the UAE Emirates team, won in 11 minutes and 24 seconds and secured the sixth victory of his careerthe third on a time trial after that on the times of the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse last year.

Vingegaard ninth

Starting before the Italian, he was sitting in the leader’s seat when Ganna crossed the finish line, and did not hide his relief. The victory was in fact almost acquired for him since neither Jay Hindley nor Ethan Vernon, who left afterwards, came to worry him. The Catalan will therefore wear the blue leader’s jersey on Tuesday during the 2nd stage, which will take the peloton from Camaiore to Follonicawith three climbs on the program and probably a sprint finish by the sea. Note that the big favorite for this race, Jonas Vingegaard, with a new generation helmet finished ninth, 22 seconds behind Ayuso, in the same time as the great French hope Romain Grégoire.

WORLD TOUR / TIRRENO-ADRIATIC (ITALY)
Classification of the 1st stage (Lido di Camaiore – Lido di Camaiore, 10km clm) – Monday March 4, 2024
1- Juan Ayuso (ESP/UAE Emirates) in 11’24
2- Filippo Ganna (ITA/Ineos Grenadiers) at 1″
3- Ethan Vernon (GBR/Israel Premier Tech) at 12″
4- Jonathan Milan (ITA/Lidl-Trek) at 12″
5- Josef Cerny (RTC/Soudal-Quick Step) à 14″
6- Soren Waerenskjold (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) at 15′′
7- Antonio Tiberi (ITA/Bahrain-Victorious) at 17″
8- Kevin Vauquelin (FRA/Arkéa-B&B Hotels) at 18″
9- Jonas Vingegaard (DAN/Visma-Lease a Bike) at 22″
10- Romain Grégoire (FRA/Groupama-FDJ) at 22″
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