Giro 2023 Favourites stage 1: ITT for pink

foto: Cor VosThe GC battle rages from day one onwards. Pre-race favourites Evenepoel en Roglic will want to put time into their rivals, while ITT specialists such as Ganna and Küng are eyeing up the pink jersey. Who are the favourites for the first maglia rosa of this year's Giro? (Slideshow route/profile)

Ganna has an impressive track record in ITTs on the first day of the Giro. Both in 2021 and 2020 he stormed to pink. Two years ago on a flat course and in 2020 the route ran mostly downhill. Is he also able to pull it off with a finale featuring a 1.2 kilometres climb at 5.3%?

Roglic took the spoils in 2019 in an intense ITT effort on the first day. The route in Bologna was flat for 6 kilometres before a 2.1 kilometres climb at 9.7% led to Santuario della Madonna di San Luca.

This year’s ITT on the first day is slightly similar to the Bologna stage, but not as intense. A stretched out version of it, one could argue. The route is pan flat for 16.8 kilometres before the last 2.8 kilometres consists of three different sections. The first goes up (1.15 kilometres at 5.4%), the second down (750 metres at -2.3%), and the third up again (950 metres at 1.9%).

The flat part of the route is very clear – just straight ahead – and the same goes for the false flat downhill. So, bike handling is not really a prerequisite – strong legs are.

The sheer firepower in terms of time trialists on the Giro is impressive. Unfortunately, reigning World Champion Tobias Foss had to pull out at the eleventh hour with Covid-19, but Filippo Ganna (two time World Champion), Rohan Dennis (two time World Champion), Stefan Küng (vice World Champion), Remco Evenepoel (third ITT Worlds 2022) and Primoz Roglic (Olympic ITT Champion) – they are all there. Which makes sense. The total amount for ITT kilometres in the coming three weeks adds up to more than 73 kilometres.