When the 2021 Giro d'Italia kicked off in Turin, Filippo Ganna won the time trial and enjoyed a moment of glory in his home town of Piemonte, wearing the first race leader's maglia rosa.

This year, the Corsa Rosa will again begin in Turin, with other stages in Piemonte on Sunday and Monday. Ganna's ambitions and chances of success are different, but the sense of ambition remains.

In 2021, Ganna was a heavy favorite to win the 8.6-km urban time trial and repeated his success in Sicily in 2020, living up to expectations. This year, he is an outsider who has a chance to use his power and fast finish after the 140km road stage from Veneria Reale to the city center. But he should not be ruled out.

The opening stage includes some late climbs, but Ganna is in good shape and could be part of a reduced peloton that is expected to battle for the win in central Turin. Expect a sprint battle with Tadei Pogachar and Julian Alaphilippe, as well as Superga, Colle Maddalena, and others who will be racing hard on the short but steep San Vito climb just 3km from the finish.

Ganna, while denying his own chances, revealed that he and Ineos Grenadiers had studied and trained for this stage. Nothing is left to chance.

"This year the situation is different from 2021. Compared to the time trial stage, the road stage is more complicated and more open," Ganna suggested, before revealing his ambitions.

"I tried to simulate Saturday's race by running a short, uphill course. The race on the day will be completely different. Some riders will give us a hard time, but we will do our best. If we do well, we will celebrate."

Ganna wore Maria Rosa for only three days in 2021; she did not compete in the 2022 Giro and missed the 2023 race due to COVID-19.

His chances of winning the time trial on stage 6 to Perugia are limited because of the uphill finish, but the flat time trial on stage 14 near Lake Garda is suited to his overwhelming speed and power. for the Paris Olympics time trial in July. It is an important test and, along with the Team Pursuit on the track, is his main goal for the summer.

There are a number of hilly stages in this year's Giro where pure sprinters are likely to be separated by distance, but Ganna countered that he could jump into the sprint, as he did three times to finish second in the 2023 Vuelta a España. With Geraint Thomas challenging Tadej Pogachar for the overall win, Ganna knows he will also have to suffer and work hard for three weeks.

"I like the time trial at Lake Garda. If I have good legs, I can do well," he hinted, perhaps playing a psychological game with his rivals and himself.

"I'm not a sprinter, so the sprint stages are complicated for me. In the Vuelta, Gelant told me to try a sprint, so I did. But with the Giro riders it would be difficult. Of course, I'm here to try, so let's see what happens.

Ganna is modest about his chances, but is proud to be back in the Giro d'Italia.

"Racing in Italy with all the tifosi along the way will be motivating and the start in Piemonte will be special, we have a tough opening stage in Turin, where it all started in 2021."