Felix Gall suffers major blow in Giro time trial, but why did he go for a Roglic-like outfit?

Felix Gall faced a predictable setback in the tenth stage time trial of the Giro d’Italia. Over 42 kilometers, the Austrian rider from Decathlon CMA CGM lost 4 minutes and 22 seconds to stage winner Filippo Ganna, while gaps to the other GC contenders were also significant. Gall dropped one position in the overall standings.

Gall likely knew all week that the stage ten time trial was his Achilles’ heel. However, having matched Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) well in earlier stages, there may have been hope that exceptional form could narrow the gap. “I saw the numbers on the way, and they were exactly what I wanted,” Gall said immediately after the finish, speaking to outlets including IDL Procycling.

Those numbers, however, fell far short. In the end, only Thymen Arensman (Netcompany INEOS) leapfrogged him in the overall classification. The other GC riders, though, are now much closer. Tenth-placed Markel Beloki (EF Education-EasyPost) has closed to within two minutes of Gall.

At the finish, Gall admitted he wasn’t sure how his performance compared to others, which must have been frustrating. “But the legs are definitely there,” he stressed, reflecting on how he had matched Vingegaard on the Blockhaus (13 seconds lost) and Corno alle Scale (12 seconds lost).

Entering the time trial 35 seconds behind Vingegaard, Gall now faces a deficit of 1 minute and 30 seconds. “I gave everything and did what I could, so this is what it is. I have no regrets. It was a long time trial, but it was okay. I didn’t really enjoy it; after 30 kilometers it was all about hanging on and fighting to the finish.”

Another thing that stood out about Gall’s time trial was that, unlike his teammates, he didn’t opt for an aerodynamic helmet with a so-called aero shield. Instead, the Austrian showed up wearing regular cycling glasses, with his helmet sitting a bit far back on his head and his long curls sticking out from underneath.

It was somewhat reminiscent of Primož Roglič in 2020, whose hair had also come out from under his helmet during the Tour de France time trial on La Planche des Belles Filles. The Slovenian also lost a lot of time for Jumbo-Visma back then—and the Tour. When we asked Gall why he had chosen this setup, his answer was practical: ‘I feel more comfortable without the aero shield.’

Bram van der Ploeg ( X: @BvdPloegg | email : [email protected])