World Time Trial Championships, a bigwig forfeits: no challenge with Filippo Ganna

The time trial will be run on Sept. 18

The Cycling World Championships (to be held in Australia Sept. 18-25) are more than a month away, but the top riders are already hard at work, scheduling-wise: there is great anticipation for the choices of the big boys, and one, in particular, is surprising because it actually blows up one of the most anticipated rivalries, the time trial between defending champion Filippo Ganna and Wout van Aert.

The Belgian, in fact, has chosen not to contest the time trial, to bet everything on the in-line one: a news that has left the insiders stunned and that, paradoxically, puts even more pressure on the Verbanese, who sees his odds of favorite increase.

Belgian coach, Stan Vanthourenhout, expressed displeasure to local media, while understanding the decision: “A time trial like Wollongong can weigh down a rider like Wout,” he said, “so I understand his choice. A silver medal can be an extraordinary result, but he always aims for the best.”