Ninety-first in A Travers la Flandre on Wednesday, Filippo Ganna withdrew from the Tour of Flanders, in order to give everything to Paris-Roubaix in ten days.
Victim of a fall and forced to retire from Ghent-Wevelgem last Sunday, Filippo Ganna was only superficially injured (hit to the knee) and was able to get back on his bike on Wednesday on the occasion of A Travers la Flandre, where he took 91st place 3’38 behind the French winner Christophe Laporte. But while most of the riders used this race as a general rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders, which will be held on Sunday, the Italian rider from Ineos Grenadiers will skip the Ronde, to give everything on Paris-Roubaix, which will be held on April 9.
“I feel good, I’m relaxed and now I only have one goal in mind and that’s Roubaix. I want to be at my best and do my best, so April 9 is now the only date that matters”said the former world time trial champion to The Gazzetta dello Sport.
Ganna will recognize the cobblestones on Friday
After a day of rest on Thursday, Filippo Ganna will carry out the reconnaissance of the cobbled sections this Friday. “I will do 160km of the Paris-Roubaix course. I’m going to start 20 km before the first cobblestone sector and ride until the penultimate sector. This involves studying the key sectors, the Tranchée d’Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l’Arbre. My teammates who are racing the Tour of Flanders will do another reconnaissance next Thursday while I arrive in France on Friday ready to race.”Ganna clarified.
Winner of the Paris-Roubaix hopes edition in 2016, at 19, Filippo Ganna then arrived after the deadline in 2018, then gave up in 2019 before finally finishing ranked in 2022, but only in 35th place, 4 ’47 from winner Dylan van Baarle, who was his teammate at the time. But the Dutchman left to reinforce the Jumbo-Visma armada and Ganna will therefore be the leader of the Ineos Grenadiers team. Will the 2023 edition be the right one?
