2024 Cycling World Championships, Filippo Ganna silver and Edoardo Affini bronze

Not one but two Italian medals in the World Time Trial in ZurichThe gold did not arrive, but Philip Ganna and Edoardo Affini complete the podium behind the divine Remco Evenepoel, Olympic champion and now world champion in the time trial. For the Flemish, it is the second consecutive rainbow jersey in the specialty. Same first two as in Glasgow 2023: Evenepoel gave 6” to Ganna and 54” to Affini from Mantua. Evenepoel and Ganna are also the first and second of the Paris Olympics. But it was a heart-pounding race (46 km at an average speed of 52), especially in the second part, when Ganna – 19” behind at the last intermediate – put all his power on the road. It wasn’t enough for him to catch up with the formidable two-time Olympic champion. For Ganna, it is the fourth world time trial podium after the gold medals in 2020 and 2021 and, indeed, the silver in 2023. First world championship podium for Affini, recent winner of the European championship in Hasselt (but all the great specialists were missing). Affini preceded the Englishman Joshua Tarling and the Australian Jay Vine, who fell in the terrible descent of the Swiss course and arrived at the finish line bleeding. A shiver before the start also for Evenepoel: at the first pedal stroke, a few seconds after the start, the Belgian had a chain jump, resolved by the technicians not without nervousness.

Ganna: “Beaten by a champion”

“I’m sorry to have lost the gold by only six seconds, it must be said that I was defeated not by an outsider, but by a champion like Remco. I came to this World Championship to get back in the game and I think I have honored the jersey in the best possible way. I am very happy for Edoardo: we have been running together since the World Championship in Florence in 2013 and finally we are both on the same podium”. This is how Filippo Ganna comments on his silver medal. The bronze medalist Edoardo Affini adds: “I am happy because, even if I haven’t seen the data, I think I have done my best performance ever. It’s a shame that Filippo missed out on the gold, but being on the podium together was a great emotion. Today’s victory is confirmation that the victory at the European Championships did not come by chance”.

Ganna, the long journey to Zurich

Filippo Ganna’s approach to the World Championships in Zurich was not an easy one. After the Olympics, the Piedmontese had physical and mental problems: the great deal of fatigue accumulated in the double commitment in Paris (also in bronze in the track pursuit), added to a very long season, affected Ganna’s August (a 14th place in the time trial of the Tour of Germany and the withdrawal from the Renewi Tour). The time trial in Zurich was the 64th day of racing in his 2024. The uncertainty about his presence in Zurich had arrived until the beginning of September. Then the decision, the classic withdrawal at high altitude at the Rifugio Oberto Maroli, in front of Monte Rosa and the yes: the one in Zurich was probably the best Ganna of the season.

The Evolution of Affini

Edoardo Affini also did very well, having exploded in this second half of the year. Good placings between Vuelta a Burgos, Vuelta (5th place in the first time trial), then the double European gold in Belgium between individual time trial and mixed relay. Ganna and Affini will be at the start of the mixed time trial relay (three men and three women) on Wednesday, another medal opportunity for the Azzurri. And there is another good news in the afternoon for the Azzurri cycling: Anthony Tiberius won the Tour of Luxembourg with a great move in the last stage. Behind him, in the general classification, the reigning world champion Mathieu Van der Poel, who tried in every way to hold on to the leader’s jersey, without success. For the rider from Lazio, one of the eight selected by coach Bennati for the road race on Sunday 29 September, it is the second success in his career, the first in a stage race.