Key Takeaways: Giro d'Italia Stage 1
Breaking down an opening time trial that set an unmistakably clear tone for the remainder of the three-week race
Remco Evenepoel laid down an early marker at the 2023 Giro d’Italia by unleashing a jaw-dropping ride along the picturesque Adriatic coast from Fossacesia Marina to Ortona that saw him win the opening 19.6-kilometer time trial with a staggering 22-second margin over runner-up, Italian time trial champion Filippo Ganna, and with a 43-second margin over his main GC rival Primož Roglič.
While the scorching performance was imperious, and suggested that Evenepoel has the raw power to steamroll the three-week race, which includes two additional time trial stages, the infamously tricky and unpredictable nature of the Giro d’Italia means there are plenty of hurdles remaining between now and eventual overall victory in three weeks’ time.
Stage Top Five
1) Remco Evenepoel +0
2) Filippo Ganna +22
3) João Almeida +29
4) Tao Geoghegan Hart +40
5) Stefan Küng +43
Filtered GC Standings
Remco Evenepoel +0
João Almeida +29
Tao Geoghegan Hart +40
Primož Roglič +43
Jay Vine +46
Brandon McNulty +48
Aleksandr Vlasov +55
Geraint Thomas +55
*Stay up-to-date with the race and share your thoughts over the next three weeks via the BTP subscribers-only Giro d’Italia discussion thread
Stage 1 Notebook
Brandon McNulty: The young American sets an early best mark with a strong ride that suggests he could be an outside contender for the final podium.
Jay Vine: McNulty’s teammate answers the questions about his form that might have lingered since his spring-season knee injury. His incredibly strong ride beats McNulty by two seconds.
Remco Evenepoel: The pre-race favorite goes through the first time check with the fastest time. He is averaging a mind-blowing 58 km/hr (36 mph!) with his absurdly aerodynamic position that leaves almost between his head and hands and likely produces one of the best CdAs (coefficient of aerodynamic drag) in the history of the sport.
Evenepoel’s extreme aerodynamic advantage is illustrated when we see just how low his profile as he blows by Trek’s Daan Hoole.
While he looked fast throughout his ride, the full extent of Evenepoel’s dominance only comes into focus when he rolls over the finish line 29 seconds ahead of João Almeida, who put in an extremely good ride to grab the day’s fastest time for a short time.
Primož Roglič: The veteran Slovenian gets off to a strong start and averages 55km/hr through the first time check, but he still cedes 26 seconds to Evenepoel in just under 10kms. You can visibly see he is moving at a slower rate than Evenepoel.
Through the rest of the course, Roglič stabilizes his pace and slows the rate of time loss. He ultimately comes over the line 43 seconds behind Evenepoel. A small consolation is that he matched Evenepoel’s pace on the 3.5 km-long climb to the finish.
Filippo Ganna: The overwhelming favorite for the stage win unleashes his usual picture-perfect TT form, but when he comes through the corner at the base of the climb to the line, he is already 15 seconds off Evenepoel’s pace. At 20+kgs heavier, Ganna has no chance of matching Evenepoel’s pace on the climb and comes over the line 22 seconds back.
Key Takeaways
1) Remco Evenepoel once again showed he is the world’s best at training for a specific event
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