"In the end I am fighting" - Did Filippo Ganna do the climb of his career to retain Tirreno-Adriatico podium?

Although this number can vary slightly, it is said that Filippo Ganna weights 86 kilograms. And so, despite his incredible form, it was incredibly impressive to see the INEOS Grenadiers time-trialist finish only 50 seconds away from winner Juan Ayuso on the queen stage of Tirreno-Adriatico to retain his podium spot.

"In the end I am fighting, so I am really happy for the performance. Sometimes I need the recovery. Actually the legs are a bit sore," he said to a group of journalists at the end of stage 6, as reported by Cyclingnews. 

The Italian rider showed great form all week. He won the initial time-trial with a staggering performance in it's second half which saw him take 22 seconds on the closest competitor Juan Ayuso. The truth is that if the Spaniard wasn't in the race, Ganna would have a strong chance of literally winning the overall classification despite the presence of a mountain stage.

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After some great performances on the hilly stages which saw him lose no time to his rivals, and attacking alongside INEOS the crosswinds on stage 4, Ganna took to the start of stage 6 still in the blue jersey and with hopes of resisting the final ascent to Frontignano as best as possible. He was dropped due to UAE Team Emirates - XRG's strong pace and Ayuso's relentless attacks, but he defended himself as best as anyone could've hoped for.

He finished 13th on the day, in a group that included the likes of Lorenzo Fortunato, Pello Bilbao and Simon Yates, losing 50 seconds to the stage winner. In a climb that averaged almost 8% for over 7 kilometers, it was a jaw-dropping climb for a rider of his stature. "The podium is done at the moment, so see tomorrow what can happen. We're fighting, we try to defend, to keep open."

Ganna effectively remained in the podium for the time being, 38 seconds away from Ayuso, but only 1 from second place Antonio Tiberi. His podium, baring bad luck, is also safe as he holds Derek Gee back by 4 seconds. Today's final stage with crosswinds and a couple of tricky climbs could still provide a chance for Ganna to climb up the GC one final time. "If I add like a 1,000 watts to my sprint maybe I'll take some bonus seconds tomorrow," he joked.

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