Giro d’Italia 2024 Stage Report: The stage 7 time trial was always going to be a battle for the day’s victory, but would there be any change on GC? The answer was no. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) won the stage by 17 seconds from Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) and boosted his overall lead on everyone else. As long as there is no problem with the Slovenian’s shorts.
The final K
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Stage win and more time in the GC bank for Tadej Pogačar
Tadej Pogačar won the individual stage 7 time trial of the 2024 Giro d’Italia. The pink jersey wearer rode an incredibly fast final climb to beat the time of Filippo Ganna. Pogačar also made a big time difference in the overall classification.
Stage 7 TT profile
The first time trial comes on day seven. The test is mostly flat, but there is a climb to the finish which also has KOM points. Despite the final climb, there are opportunities for the pure time trialist as the course is not too technical, just right for Filippo Ganna. On the flat part of the 38.5 kilometre course, the riders can use their strength on the long roads through the valley. The first timing point is at 16.6 kilometres, the second point is 6.5 kilometres from the finish, where the first part of the climb (1.5km at 10.7%) starts. From the top of this section the climb continues to the finish, 6.5km at 4.0%.
Josef Cerny (Soudal Quick-Step) put up the first top time
Cerny’s boss, Patrick Lefevere, was there to see his men
There were quite a few early crashes in the stage 7 time trial. Tim van Dijke and Tobias Lund Andresen were the first victims. Lund crashed on a corner at the start of the time trial. On zebra crossing on a bent, he slid on the paint. Then Daan Hoole also almost crashed ion the same bend, but was able to just stay upright.
Daan Hoole was 34 seconds faster than Cerny
Edoardo Affini (Visma | Lease a Bike) was 10 seconds slower than Hoole
Van Dijke and Lund were able to continue, but Hoole had lost his rhythm. The Dutchman of Lidl-Trek set a time of 54:16, which was faster than some of the other time trial specialists: Edoardo Affini, Tobias Foss and Josef Cerny. This was the early target time, but Hoole couldn’t sit in the ‘Hot Seat’ for long. Lorenzo Milesi, former World time trial champion, was 20 seconds faster than Hoole.
Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar) was 10 seconds faster than Hoole
Points leader, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), would be saving himself
Milesi could enjoy his lead for a while, but the real TT favourites were yet to finish. Mikkel Bjerg was the first to under cut Milesi’s time, but Filippo Ganna was not that far behind. The Italian time trial champion, who had to contend with a fan just after the start, thrashed Bjerg’s time. Ganna set a new top time of 52:01, 1:39 faster than Bjerg.
‘Vino’ was also in Italy
Mikkel Bjerg was warming up for his top time – 16 seconds faster than Milesi
The first rider to come within 1 minute of Ganna was Maximilian Schachmann. The German rode a strong climb in the final, to finish 47 seconds slower than Ganna. Magnus Sheffield, one of the favourites, was slightly better than Schachmann and was 32 seconds down on Ganna. After Schachmann and Sheffield there was a wait for the first of the GC riders.
A lot was expected from Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers)
The Italian didn’t disappoint with the best time of 52:01
Thymen Arensman was the first of the overall contenders to finish. The Dutchman had a good TT, to finish third fastest behind Ganna, his ride helped him in the general classification. Antonio Tiberi was the next GC hopeful to set a good time, he was 1 minute and 4 seconds slower than Ganna.
It would soon be time to see what Tadej Pogačar would do
Maximilian Schachmann (BORA-hansgrohe) was 48 seconds slower than Ganna
It was now the turn of the last three starters, who are also good riders against the clock: Daniel Felipe Martínez, Geraint Thomas and Tadej Pogačar in pink. Martínez was down at the first intermediate time check point, at more than a minute to Ganna. Thomas was 30 seconds better than Martínez. Pogačar didn’t look great at 44 seconds slower than Ganna. Were we looking at a disappointment for the Slovenian?
Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) was 16 seconds faster than Schachmann, but fell short of Ganna’s time by 32 seconds
Young Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike) was probably wanting a better time
The next intermediate time was taken at the start of the climb to the finish line. Pogačar, unlike Martínez and Thomas, didn’t lose any more time to Ganna between the two check points, but he was still 47 seconds behind the Italian. His time was the third fastest time at the second intermediate point. It was becoming obvious that Pogačar had planned his time trial well and had saved himself for the finale.
Geraint Thomas needs a good time to hold his podium place
Pogačar in those shorts again
Martínez also had the same plan and lifted his pace a lot on the final climb. The Colombian pulled back more than half a minute on the climb to the finish. Geraint Thomas was in trouble and lost a lot of time over the last tough kilometres and nearly out of the Top-10. We then had to wait to see what Pogačar could pull out of the bag. The Slovenian flew up the climb to beat Ganna by 17 seconds.
Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) moved into 3rd place, 43 seconds down on Ganna
Could Pogačar pull back Ganna in the finale?
Pogačar had made up more than a minute and on the climb. This pushed Arensman out of the Top-3. On the general classification, Pogačar now has a lead of 2:36 over Martínez, who jumped over Thomas.
It looked close, but in the end the Slovenian was 17 seconds faster than the Italian
Stage winner and Maglia Rosa, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “I’m super happy that I felt good on the time trial bike. I didn’t ride any TT since the world championships last year but I’ve worked a lot on it in the meantime and I’m glad it paid off today. I started at an easier pace to get used to the TT bike. Then I rode the climb full gas. I heard two time gaps but I wasn’t sure what they said in the radio so I was focusing on myself. The climb suited me better than Pippo [Ganna] for sure. It was quite steep so it was to my advantage but it won’t be the case in the next time trial. Tomorrow I know Prati di Tivo. It was the queen stage when. I won up there during Tirreno-Adriatico two years ago but it’s just one stage of a Grand Tour this time around so it won’t be my goal to get my record time of climbing there after Lutsenko and Ulissi rode very fast up that hill one month ago during Il Giro d’Abruzzo.”
Another stage, another podium for Tadej Pogačar
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Giro d’Italia Stage 7 Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 51:44
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:17
3. Magnus Sheffield (USA) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:49
4. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:00
5. Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:05
6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 1:21
7. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 1:45
8. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:49
9. Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates at 1:56
10. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:00.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 7:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 24:12:36
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe at 2:36
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:46
4. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 3:33
5. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 3:42
6. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan at 3:49
7. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike at 3:50
8. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 4:11
9. Filippo Zana (Ita) Jayco AlUla at 4:41
10. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 4:44.
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