“I was in a deep crisis”: Filippo Ganna admits Giro-Tour double left him empty at Tour de France
Cycling
Filippo Ganna admitted his ambitions of winning a Tour de France stage ultimately faded as fatigue caught up with him after an exhausting Giro-Tour double. While the Italian produced flashes of his best form, including a near-miss for the yellow jersey in Barcelona, he acknowledged that the demands of two Grand Tours left him with little left in the tank by the final week.
A Tour built around stage wins
Netcompany INEOS approached the 2026 Tour de France with a very different philosophy from the Team Sky era, abandoning general classification ambitions to focus on stage victories. Despite the shift in strategy, the British squad came away without a stage win, managing only two top-five finishes, both courtesy of Ganna (stages 1 and 9).
The biggest disappointment came on the opening time trial in Barcelona, where the Italian finished second, missing the yellow jersey by just eight seconds. Looking back, Ganna revealed that the race unfolded differently than planned.
“In the Barcelona time trial, I was supposed to lead the other guys into the final corner. But then I found myself at the front together with Tobias Foss, so we just went all in,” Ganna said in words to bici.pro.
The performance was particularly satisfying after the disappointment of the previous season. “After the crash that ruled me out in 2025, I really wanted to come back to the Tour and deliver a good performance.”
Another of Ganna's standout performances came on stage nine, when he narrowly missed the decisive breakaway before winning the sprint from the peloton behind the escapees, beating green jersey winner Mads Pedersen.
Even so, the Italian admitted the race had been an uphill battle from a physical standpoint. “It was an intense Tour de France in which we struggled quite a bit. After racing both the Giro and the Tour, your legs are what they are.”
He also highlighted the additional challenge faced by heavier riders in the mountains. “Especially when you're not a general classification rider or a climber, it's even harder. If you weigh more than 80 kilograms, those climbs really hurt.”
Ganna believes the team may also have missed some opportunities during the race. “Maybe on more than one occasion we weren't ready. That fifth place could have been something more if the breakaway had been caught.”
"My legs were completely gone"
The mountainous time trial to Thonon-les-Bains marked the beginning of Ganna's decline. Having already predicted after his course reconnaissance that the route was unsuitable for specialists, the Italian eventually finished 11th before fading badly over the following days.
Reflecting on that difficult period, he admitted the effort had emptied his legs completely, as the Giro-Tour combination had finally caught up with him.
“There I was in a deep crisis. My legs were completely gone. Sometimes you only have a few bullets to fire during a Grand Tour, especially when you've already raced another one beforehand. I'm sorry I didn't make the breakaway, but you can't be everywhere.”
After taking a period to recover, Ganna already has a clear programme for the remainder of the season. As for a return to the track ahead of the Track World Championships in Shanghai, the Italian says the decision has yet to be made.
“After a recovery period I'll restart at the Bretagne Classic and then head straight to Canada for the individual time trial and the mixed relay. As for the track, we'll see. I'd like to do it, but first I'll have to understand how my head and my legs feel at the end of the season.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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