PALERMO, Italy: World champion Filippo Ganna produced a flying performance on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) to win the Giro d’Italia’s opening day time-trial in Palermo and claim the 21-day race’s first pink jersey as overall leader. On his first Grand Tour, former track specialist Ganna — on home soil — was the man to beat on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) after winning the individual world time-trial title a week ago. Ganna completed the slightly downhill 15.1km in a furious 15min 24sec, or at an average speed of 58.831km/h, just slightly outside the Giro stage speed record set almost 20 years ago in Pescara by Rik Verbrugghe. Still wearing his world time-trial winner’s rainbow shirt the 1.93m-tall (6ft 4in) rider slipped on the Giro leader’s pink jersey presented by the mayor of Palermo. “Both these jerseys are wonderful, but maybe this one, here today, feels better,” said Ganna with a huge smile.

Source: Manila Times October 04, 2020 16:07 UTC