Vingegaard fails to snatch pink jersey as Ganna triumphs in Giro time trial

Filippo Ganna sailed to an easy victory in stage 10’s individual time trial at the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday, and the pre-race favourite Jonas Vingegaard failed in his bid to take the overall lead as Afonso Eulálio battled hard to hold on to the pink jersey.

No one could come close to Ganna, a time trial specialist who completed the flat, 42km (26-mile) route along the coast from Viareggio to Massa in 45min 53sec. Ganna had little to worry about while waiting for confirmation of his eighth Giro stage win – seven of those have come in time trials – with his Netcompany-Ineos teammate Thymen Arensman coming second, 1min 54sec behind.

The Dutchman had five seconds to spare over the Frenchman Rémi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ United) who finished third and Vingegaard was three minutes down on Ganna in 13th place.

“We have done an amazing job last winter to prepare for time trials,” said Ganna. “And it can be seen also with the GC riders of the team, look at Thymen in second place.”

Portugal’s Eulálio who took the pink jersey after stage five and began the day 2min and 24sec ahead of Vingegaard, dug deep to limit the damage and still holds a 27sec overall lead.

Afonso Eulálio in action during the time trial. Photograph: Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse/AP

In the only time trial of this year’s race, Vingegaard was expected to seize control, and while he is now within touching distance of Eulálio, the Portuguese rider defied the odds. “I’m not expecting a good time trial,” Eulálio had said before the stage. “This time trial is totally flat, maximum speed, it’s the worst possible type of stage for a lightweight climber like me. It’s going to be suffering.” Suffer he did, but with the finish in sight, Eulálio found an extra gear to power to the line.

Arensman was the big mover in the general classification, up from sixth spot to third overall, and is one and a half minutes behind Vingegaard, while Felix Gall slipped from 35 seconds off the Dane to almost two minutes adrift. Gall had been Vingegaard’s main rival on the recent summit finishes, where the favourite won two stages, and the Austrian will now need to push hard once more to recoup his losses.

Wednesday’s stage 11 is a 195km ride from Porcari to Chiavari.