Tirreno-Adriatico, Juan Ayuso mocks Filippo Ganna in the opening time trial

Juan Ayuso first blue jersey at Tirreno-Adriatico 2024

The first stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico 2024, a 10-kilometer individual time trial on a course around Lido di Camaiore (Lucca), gives a smile to Juan Ayuso and leaves the taste of mockery to Filippo Ganna: between the Spaniard of the UAE Emirates Team and the champion from Verbania in force for Ineos Grenadiers there'è only a second away at the finish line.

Ayuso thus won the stage and wore the blue jersey of overall leader, ahead of Ganna. Third place, both in the time trial and the overall, for another Italian specialist of speed, especially on the track: this is Jonathan Milan, of Lidl-Trek, whose time è was 12 seconds slower than that of the winner.

"It's fantastic, also because there's been suspense until the end,‖ commented Ayuso, a class of 2002 native of the Comunità Valenciana, to the official channels of RCS Sport, on the sidelines of the time trial run on Monday afternoon.

We all knew that Filippo Ganna was the main rival. It's a very emotional victory, really special".

"I wanted to center my energies in the first part – explained the Spanish rider again – When I turned after the intermediate I was sure that I would make a good time. This result gives me a lot of motivation for the week to come" he then specified, without hiding his ambitions in the general classification.