Ganna super star in Friuli: it passes like a car through the vineyards of the Valleys

Fly at 52.7 km / h on average, beaten by Cattaneo and Affini. Now he is aiming for yellow in the sixth Tour de France De Marchi

SAN GIOVANNI AL NATISONE. Unhappy times, hot to frighten, willing but revisable organization, from a village festival or a little more, but, gentlemen, Filippo Ganna is Filippo Ganna and has greatly ennobled the Italian time trial cycling championships of San Giovanni al Natisone, which were closed yesterday with the three key tests, that of the under 23s, professionals and women.

Is it possible to run such a time trial at 2.30 pm, with the reigning world champion, the top of the world championships and the cream of the Belpaese specialists, without even a shred of live TV? Are cycling and territory promoted in this way? Carlo Pali, mayor of San Giovanni al Natisone, passionate about cycling, can be seen at a mile, spreads his arms. “What we could we did, certain things did not belong to us, but to the organizing committee, it is certain that having the cream of Italian cycling here makes us proud”.

Yes, the cream of Italian cycling and also ten days before the start of the Tour, which will start from Copenhagen with the 13 km time trial, which the Ganna rainbow jersey has in its sights since last autumn, when the Grande Boucle 2022 was unveiled. .

Great test at the Dauphiné, with Wout Van Aert defeated, a reminder of preparation on the high ground and off to the conquest of his third tricolor jersey.

The opponents? Tosti on the very flat 35 km on the San Giovanni-Cividale route with the Rosazzo Abbey, the only tooth in the end.

The tempone is Matteo Cattaneo (Quickstep) after 18 km, remains glued to Ganna at only 4 “, more detached Edoardo Affini (Jumbo) at 24”, then the defending champion Matteo Sobrero (Bike Exchange) and the Friulian Alessandro De Marchi ( Israel). But TopGanna increases in the final and closes in 40’29 ”10 at an average of 52.760 km / h. Cattaneo arrives at 36 “(” I went fast, but with one like this it’s hard “, he explains refreshed by the Yankee masseur Germano), Affini at 50”, De Marchi sixth at 2’01 (“for how it was the course went pretty well from “, he said). Ganna? Anti-fatigue rollers, anti-doping, award ceremonies. Autographs? Selfie? Few. “You can come otherwise to take the PCR test on Tuesday in Denmark before the Tour, everyone around here is without a mask!” He said. Here he is in an amen found the real opponent of yesterday, and these days, of the champion of Verbania. Masked, with gel to disinfect his hands like all his colleagues who play the season in this period, he is trying to avoid a contagion from Covid that would be mocking. He wants the yellow jersey at the start of the Tour. Yesterday, after the Ineos teammates Geraint Thomas and Daniel Martinez had inaugurated it at the Tour of Switzerland, he too used the “Bolide F”, the jewel that Pinarello built for him on purpose for the Tour and the hour record he will try to beat at the end of August. «It is always nice to win the tricolor, now I will have a week to finish the preparation. I did well even though, back from the height, I suffered from the heat and on the route I was unable to find the right gears », he said. They call him for premiations. The audience at the velodrome cheers him. For Ganna, the fans have arrived. Mameli’s hymn rings out. Revisable version. Luckily there was Top Ganna, go.