Giro d’Italia 2020: World champion Filippo Ganna wins time trial in opening stage

Palermo: Newly-crowned world champion Filippo Ganna won the opening stage time trial of the rescheduled Giro d’Italia on Saturday. Ganna, an Italian who rides for Ineos Grenadiers, beat Joao Almeida by 22 seconds on the 15.1-kilometer (9.4-mile) downhill time trial in Palermo. Mikkel Bjerg was third with the same time as Almeida. Ganna recently became the first Italian to win the men’s time trial at the road cycling world championships, which were also held in Italy. The 24-year-old will now swap that rainbow jersey for the pink colored one that the overall leader of the Giro wears. There were several crashes on the course, with the riders affected by strong winds. Victor Campenaerts also complained about the road surface after crashing but managing to finish the stage with a bloodied leg. Miguel Angel Lopez was taken away in an ambulance after he fell. The race ends on 25 October with an individual time trial in Milan. The Giro was originally scheduled to start with three stages in Hungary and run from 9-31 May but it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.