Despite showing mental strength in Belgium, Ganna refuses favourite status

Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar... There are a couple of clear favourites for Paris-Roubaix this Sunday. And behind the 'immortals' you have riders like Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen. But what about Filippo Ganna? The Italian seems built for the cobbles with his huge engine, and he is in red-hot form. But the big INEOS man he wants nothing to do with a favourites tag.

Ganna won Dwars door Vlaanderen in brilliant fashion, then he took a rest. He has not seen a cobblestone since. 'I have been climbing, though,' he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. 'My main test is climbing. If I feel that my legs feel good and I can pedal well... then I'm ready. On the other hand, if I'm constantly chasing and never find the right pedalling technique, then the alarm bells start ringing. Like before Sanremo.'

There, he was unable to repeat his 2025 performance. The big time triallist skipped the Tour of Flanders to focus on The Hell of the North. In 2023, he finished sixth, but last year he could not do better than thirteenth, despite being heavily fancied. Now the Italian knows that a few names will stand out above the rest.

At the Tour of Flanders we saw a battle between the 'big 5'. Those who rode minutes clear of the competition. 'We saw it in Flanders: Pogačar, Van der Poel, Van Aert, Pedersen... They showed more, and it is up to them to drop me, to make me suffer. My task is clear: stay with them, maybe get past or beat them in a sprint. I'm not putting pressure on myself.'

Dwars door Vlaanderen was a breakthrough for Ganna. It was the first one-day race on his palmarès, and the manner of the victory was important too. He suffered two mechanical problems, came back, and secured the win in the closing metres. 'I fought until the end. And I showed that I am mentally strong. I already knew that: an hour record, all those time trials... But in that context it was different — I overcame bad luck and many external factors.'

Despite his perfect build for a race like Paris-Roubaix, the powerhouse is not exactly looking forward to it. 'I haven't found the love for it, and I never will,' he laughs. 'I would love to talk to someone who has. It's hard to explain: it is a suffering that, from a sporting perspective, can become a true form of torture.'

On top of that, there are riders at the start who are also built for this race. Van der Poel does not just have the watts, but also the bike-handling skills. 'He can find those ten centimetres of space at the side of the road without cobbles, he can keep his balance and ride straight through. He is more agile, smarter, so it is easier. Compared to him, I am a goat on a bike. And if I try something like that, I end up in the ditch.'

Particularly after Flanders, Ganna is not getting carried away. 'I've seen the power numbers on various social media channels. Yes, I have those too — but for a four-minute sprint. After a six-hour race, that's not my case.' Perhaps Ganna could anticipate by going early. 'But if they start attacking a hundred kilometres out again, what am I supposed to do? Move to Compiègne?'