Lido di Camaiore > Lido di Camaiore 11.5km

The race starts with an 11.5km ITT, one that should be familiar to you. It’s a little shorter than last year, but it’s on the same road that’s used every year. 

Start, turn right, down to the bottom of the road, U-turn, back to the finish. 

Weather

It looks a bit on the rainy side, and quite windy too, not ideal for a time trial. We’ll see if the weather will be consistent for all, but wet roads shouldn’t be too much of an issue with only two corners. The wind looks like it favours the later starters.

Contenders

Filippo Ganna – won here last year, and it wasn’t even close. He would have been disappointed about the outcome of the TT in the Algarve, but this is a route that he knows, and one that suits him. With just two corners, it’s all about raw power, and it doesn’t hurt when the Italian TV crew get a little bit close to him on their moto.

Wout Van Aert – his first effort of the road season, I’m looking forward to seeing what level he’s at. Brilliant at everything, Wout will expect to push Ganna all the way. It could be very close between the two of them, they should be better than the rest. Interestingly, Wout is going out very early, maybe trying to get dry roads, but will face a strong headwind for the return leg of the TT. On the other hand, he might be going out early to get his effort over with as soon as possible, as he doesn’t think he’s got a chance of winning.

Primož Roglič – not an ideal route for him, it suits the larger riders. He’ll still want a good performance; every second will count in the GC battle.

Wilco Kelderman – word on the street is he’s going well. Kelderman has always been an excellent TT rider throughout his career, hopefully the change of equipment sees him hitting new heights.

Mathieu van der Poel – Strade Bianche wasn’t ideal, but it was his first race of the season, so I wouldn’t be worried. Despite not working too much on his TT bike, he posted some incredible performances last year. He would prefer more corners, but I still think he should be challenging for the podium.

Magnus Sheffield – a lot will depend on how he recovered after crashing on Saturday. If 100%, he should be fighting for the podium, he’s excellent on his TT bike.

Prediction Time

Will Van Aert get dry roads and everyone else wet?

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With only two corners, I think the wind will be the significant factor, so I’m going with Filippo Ganna.