"I've only got one objective on my mind" - Filippo Ganna skips Tour of Flanders to prepare for Paris-Roubaix

With Tom Pidcock set to lead the INEOS Grenadiers at the Tour of Flanders, Filippo Ganna was a notable absence for the team. The Italian has now revealed it's all part of his plan, self entitled "Operation Paris-Roubaix."

"I feel good, I'm relaxed and now I've only got one objective on my mind and that's Roubaix," the 26-year-old Milano-Sanremo runner-up told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I want to be at my very best and do my best, so April 9 is now the only date that matters."

Outside of 2023's cycling holy trinity; Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogacar, Ganna will go into Paris-Roubaix as one of the dark horses for the win and after crashing out of Gent Wevelgem, the former two-time world time trial champion believes he has a point to prove.

"I've had some physiotherapy treatment and my knee is a lot better. I trained for two hours without any problems," the Italian says. "My teammates who ride the Tour of Flanders will do another recon next Thursday while I'll arrive in France on Friday ready to race."