Stage 10 time trial favourites, Giro d'Italia 2026 | Ganna let loose — but who strikes in the GC?

After Monday's rest day, the Giro d'Italia resumes on Tuesday with a long time trial. Who are the favourites for the stage win? And which GC riders — following Sunday's crucial climbing selection — can land a blow, or simply limit their losses? IDL Pro Cycling previews the action.

A time trial features in the Giro d'Italia almost every year. As the Italians would say: a race without a time trial is no race at all. But it has been a while since the organisers put such a long individual time trial on the programme. We have to go back eleven years, to Vasil Kiryienka's win in a 59-kilometre stage in 2015.

This year, 42 kilometres against the clock awaits, from Viareggio to Massa — just north of Pisa on the Ligurian coast in Tuscany. And it is almost entirely flat. From the start, riders head south: after a winding opening kilometre, a long straight section follows. They then turn right towards the coast, where a U-turn sends them back along the same road in the opposite direction.

Back at the start point, the first intermediate time check is taken — after 16.7 kilometres. From there, it is head-down hammering all the way north along the seafront boulevard. The second time check comes on that same stretch, but the road continues straight even after that. It is only on the Viale Roma that riders turn right — by which point they will have 19 kilometres of dead-straight road behind them.

After the Viale Roma comes the only climb of the day. Well, "climb" is a generous term: the third and final time check is at Rinchiostra, at an altitude of just 21 metres. There, a U-turn is followed by two sharp right-handers in the final kilometre, leading into the finish in Massa.

Times
Start: 1:15 p.m CET (12:15 p.m GMT | 05:15 a.m ET)
Finish: 5:10 p.m CET (16:10 p.m GMT | 11:10 p.m ET)

A coastal time trial means wind will be the key factor. Riders will face a headwind off the start, but for the majority of the stage there will be a tailwind — nothing too strong, around force three on the Beaufort scale. On the "climb", the wind will come from the side.

So don't expect the wind to play a defining role — but a significant rain shower is forecast. It looks like this could be a wet one. Here's hoping it all goes to plan...

With Jay Vine out of the race, there is really only one outright favourite for the time trial to Massa: Filippo Ganna. The Netcompany INEOS Italian will have had stage ten circled in red, and looks virtually unstoppable on flat, power-riding terrain. But the British team has more weapons at the start — Magnus Sheffield, for one.

Among the GC contenders, it is perhaps Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) from whom most is expected. The Dane could take time on his rivals, but how much will the blue jersey weigh on his performance? It will not be an advantage. Thymen Arensman could well be the next big name looking to make a mark in the race against the clock.

With Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), we still know relatively little about his time trialling capabilities — though he did put in two solid rides against the clock in the spring. Ben O'Connor (Jayco AlUla) and Derek Gee-West (Lidl-Trek) could also spring a surprise, and on a good day either man could make a significant gain.

Turning to the pure challengers to Ganna — the real power riders — Alec Segaert (Bahrain Victorious) has made genuine strides this spring and could crown that progress with something special here. Rémi Cavagna lines up for Groupama-FDJ United, while Lidl-Trek, alongside GC leader Gee-West, also has Max Walscheid and Matteo Sobrero, winner of a time trial stage at the 2022 Giro d'Italia. His compatriot Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar) is another outsider. Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility) has already shown his form and could spring a surprise, though he tends to perform better on more demanding terrain.

Unibet Rose Rockets may well have the dark horse of the day in Niklas Larsen — the bronze medallist in last year's European time trial championship. Visma | Lease a Bike also has Victor Campenaerts in their ranks. Mikkel Bjerg looks the designated man for the battered but brilliantly successful UAE Team Emirates-XRG, while his fellow Dane Johan Price-Pejtersen lines up for Alpecin-Premier Tech. Other names to watch: Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana) and Will Barta (Tudor).

Top favorite: Filippo Ganna (Netcompany INEOS)