Filippo Ganna (open in new tab) extended his time trial win streak to seven in a row at Etoile de Besseges.

The rider from Ineos Grenadiers (open in new tab) has not lost a time trial since winning the Italian National Championships last August. Since then, he has won the final time trial at Tirreno-Adriatico, the world title at Imola, the Giro d'Italia opening time trial in Palermo, and two time trials at the Giro in Valdobbiadene and Milan. Gana's last time trial loss came at the 2020 Vuelta a San Juan, where he lost to Remco Evenepoel. However, the 15.5 km time trial was contested on regular road race bikes, not time trial bikes.

The 24-year-old Ganna started the 2021 season with a road race victory on stage 4 of the Etoile de Besseges, and 24 hours later he won the final time trial around Ales in dominant fashion, despite an uphill climb to the finish.

"We were supposed to run in Valenciana, but that got cancelled, so we quickly switched to here. It went pretty well. On his return to Italy after the French stage race, Ganna told La Gazzetta dello Sport (opens in new tab). [To be honest, I'm far from my best form, I'm still behind in fitness, and I feel there is room for improvement. That's why I'm hopeful about my next goal."

Ganna contracted the COVID-19 virus after winning four stages of the Giro d'Italia and helping Tao Geoghegan Hart win the maglia rosa. However, she quickly recovered and spent the winter training with fellow Italians Gianni Moscon and Leonardo Basso in Gran Canaria.

"I am not a robot and I make mistakes. I train for time trials just like the specialists, and if it's not too cold, I train on a time trial bike. Maybe what I did this winter in Gran Canaria will help me in France."

Ganna, who has been dubbed "Top Ganna" by the Italian media after a movie about a fighter pilot starring Tom Cruise, will next tour the UAE (February 21-27), including a 13 km time trial, and then Tirreno - Adriatico and Milan - San Remo (March 20). He will also return to the Giro d'Italia, with a chance to win his first maglia rosa on the opening stage around Turin.

Ganna is reminiscent of Fabian Cancellara, who is dominant in time trials and a solo winner in road races. In Italy, he has been compared to Miguel Indurain and Bradley Wiggins and is expected to eventually target stage races and Grand Tours.

Ganna won the under-23 Paris-Roubaix in 2016, but prefers to focus on the Giro d'Italia and the Tokyo Olympics instead of targeting the cobbled classics in 2021. Ganna is expected to become the first athlete to break the four-minute barrier in the individual pursuit.

Italian track coach Marco Villa considers Ganna, a four-time individual pursuit world title winner, to be the anchor and engine of the Italian Team Pursuit team. He will also compete in the individual time trial in Tokyo, and Italian national coach Davide Cassani is confident he can handle the hilly terrain of the time trial course, which is similar to Mt.

"He was always super strong, but he had the problem of struggling to manage his efforts. He's always put in the effort and he's a nice guy. Now he is as strong on the road as he is on the track," Villa told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Villa is pleased that Ganna will concentrate on the track this spring and summer, but he will eventually target the cobbled classics and ride aggressively, as he did when he attacked alone from a breakaway with 9 km to go in Etoile de Besseges, holding off the rest of the pack and the peloton Warning.

"Yes, he can win the classics. I can imagine him attacking in the last kilometer, and if he gets 20 meters away from me, I won't be able to catch up."