Filippo Ganna will start from the final wave in Monday's Tirreno-Adriatico time trial. Ineos Grenadiers hope that the rain will have eased off when the Italians descend the start slope at 3:40 p.m. local time. [The 11.5-kilometer time trial is up and down the flat seafront between Lido di Camaiore and Marina di Pietrasanta.

"I'm in touch with my coach about the weather. He thinks it should be the same for everyone, so it's a lottery for everyone," Ganna said Sunday with his usual pragmatism.

"There is only one corner and then he is fast even if it rains. Whatever the weather, I don't think it will be easy. We don't know how our rivals will fare or if we will be competitive. We'll find out on Monday afternoon."

It's hard to say who Ganna can beat on the flat 11.5-km out-and-back course along the Tuscan coast.

He won a similar stage in 2022, beating Lemko Evenpoel and Pogacar by 11 and 18 seconds, respectively. In 2021, however, Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) won the final 10km time trial stage, beating Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) and Ganna. Belgian Van Aert has beaten Ganna in other races, but the Italian beat him for the world title in both 2020 and 2021.

Van Aert was quick to dismiss his chances, as he has been sick recently and has had less time to train at altitude, with Evenpoel and Pogacar missing. Van Aart opted for an early start to the trial, which will begin at 12:56 local time. Wilco Kelderman will take Jumbo Visma's last time trial slot at 3:25 pm.

On Monday, it is hard to say who can generate more power and speed than Ganna. It is his race to lose.

Primoz Roglic (Jubo-Visma) will race, making his season debut after complicated shoulder surgery and a winter of staged rehabilitation. Other time trialists are being sent to Paris-Nice, where the team time trial will be an important stage.

To remember are early starters Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).

Ganna will compete in the Tirreno Adriatico in Italy for the first time this year.

"I am still young, but I am starting to feel old. This is my seventh Tirreno Adriatico, but I'm happy to race in Italy and I've always raced professionally because I feel the support of the Italian tifosi. I hope I won't disappoint them," Ganna said.

"In 2022 I focused on the Tour de France and other things, but this year I'm happy to be back in the Giro d'Italia and I'm happy with my calendar.

"I've already ridden the Vuelta a San Juan and the Volta ao Algarve em Vicleta. Then we have Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, and the Belgian classics. The Giro comes right after that, so the first half of the year will be busy. I've already told the team that I'm going on vacation in June, off the cell phone.

Ganna also competed at the European Track Championships in February, helping Italy win gold in team pursuit. He plans to use a combination of track and road racing until next summer's Paris Olympics. However, she is increasingly focusing on road and stage races as well as time trials.

A win in the opening Tirreno-Adriatico time trial would put him in the blue leader's jersey, which he would keep until the mountain finish of stage 5, Sassotet.

Ganna can climb, despite revealing that he weighs 88 kg. He is able to generate a lot of power for his weight, which helps him fight the effects of gravity. He will try to survive the 13km climb to the Sassotet finish, but knows that his overall rivals include far superior climbers such as Adam Yates, Brandon McNulty, Joan Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), Enric Mas (Movistar ), Wilco Kelderman (Jumbo Visma), Hugh Kersee (EF Education Easypost), Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroen), Alexandre Vlasov (Bora Hansgrohe), etc.

"I wouldn't have come otherwise.

"I always want to do well in time trials, but I also want to show that I am a road rider. So if I have to do something special in my road bike training, I will."

"I have the freedom to do my own racing, but I don't know how the races will turn out early in the season, especially with the cold and rain expected.

"It's another hard race this year, with three stages over 200km and three climbs over 3000m. We will suffer, but that's part of racing."