"Imagine being Ganna..." - Italian suffers another tough defeat against a rival on the opposite side of the physical spectrum
CyclingMonday, 21 September 2026 at 16:15
Filippo Ganna was second at the time trial World Championships. Although he's won it twice in the past, the Netcompany INEOS rider has now had to settle for a second place behind Remco Evenepoel for a third time.
"It was to be expected, though that’s easy to say in hindsight. I was still a bit worried, because so much can happen on a day like this," Belgian commentator José de Cauwer said on Sporza.
The victory was expected for the Belgian, reigning Olympic and European champion in the discipline as well. Nevertheless, the 57 seconds won on his closest competitor on a flat course showed how much of a difference there is between the best and the rest.
Filippo Ganna was the rainbow jersey back in 2020 and 2021; whilst every single time he's raced the world championships since 2023 - all the years Evenepoel has won - he's finished second.
In 2025 he did not compete due to the Kigali course's difficulties, whilst in Glasgow and Zurich he was not far off from the triumph. Two years since their last battle at the world championships, the difference between the two has simply grown.
"You can see on the podium that he’s resigned to it. Evenepoel is simply the better time trialist, and there are no excuses in a time trial," de Cauwer argues.
Ganna was still above the competition, but the taste of silver won't satisfy the leader of the Italian national team "It’s the logical outcome of Evenepoel’s superior performance. But imagine being Ganna and thinking: Evenepoel is quite a bit smaller than me, yet he rides so much faster..."
The podium of the 2026 World Championships time trial
Paul Seixas a big surprise
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was Paul Seixas, not due to his ability on the TT bike, but due to the bronze medal that he managed to obtain ahead of some very consolidated names.
Alongside Evenepoel and Ganna, the Frenchman has not struck gold but climbed onto the podium of the elite world championships for the first time.
"I wouldn't call Seixas a threat just yet, but he only turns twenty this week. In principle, he still has room to grow, but a minute is a huge margin in a time trial."
Time trial gives Evenepoel his confidence back
As for Evenepoel, de Cauwer's compatriot, the confidence would have been reinstated as he goes into his final big goals of the season. The time trial event displayed the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider at th very top of his game.
The road race victory hence becomes slightly more likely after such a success. "This course is tailor-made for him, and he’ll be full of confidence despite that fifth-place finish a week ago".
The GP de Montréal might be behind him now, having entered the worlds' week in prime form. "That’s long forgotten; it was even factored in. There’s a strong chance he’ll win on Sunday, but it won't be as much of a sure thing as the time trial".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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