"For Filippo it will be very difficult to start the time trial in his best condition" - Italian newspapers don't put much faith in Filippo Ganna ahead of Worlds

It's not an ideal year for Filippo Ganna. Despite starting the season well by winning time trials at the national championships and Giro d'Italia, the second half of Ganna's season showed its ugly face as his Olympic gold dream faded away both on road and on track.

But a month later, the world hour record holder dropped out of the Renewi Tour after just one day. "Fatigue" was given as the reason. "He is not ill, but something is just not right," team manager Zakkari Dempster said concernedly in Het Nieuwsblad.

The European time trial championship came too early last week. Ganna is participating in the World Championship against the clock, but a third world title seems like mission impossible.

"After his abandonment at the Renewi Tour, Ganna tried to recover a bit and train a bit to be ready in time for the World Time Trial Championships," Italian outlet Ciro Scognamiglio tells the story. "But for Filippo it will be very difficult to start the time trial in his best condition."

For Scognamiglio, Ganna's fitness dip was no surprise. "Filippo is not a robot. The Olympic Games were his main goal this season. It can happen that you are tired after such a peak and goal."

"The same thing happened to Remco Evenepoel. The European time trial championship was normally also on the Olympic champion's programme, but due to the decompression after Paris he decided to skip the European time trial championship."

"Remco is the best time trial rider at the moment. He won the previous World Time Trial Championship and is the Olympic champion. Perhaps Ganna can join the battle for medals, together with Stefan Küng and Primoz Roglic, among others. But after such a season it is difficult to make predictions. Maybe we will see some surprises in the time trial."