The Giro\u2019s one and only time trial arrives Tuesday, and it will totally reconfigure the GC fight.<\/p>\n
Filippo Ganna is favorite for victory over Magnus Sheffield and Mikkel Bjerg on a pan-flat parcours for pure specialists. But the real winners and losers will be in the pack of climbers behind.<\/p>\n
For Vingegaard and his rivals, the longest grand tour TT in 10 years could be more decisive to the Giro than its entire third week through the Dolomites and Alps.<\/a><\/p>\n The marathon stage 10 \u201crace of truth\u201d will deal hard lessons and multiple-minute losses to some. It could also promise Vingegaard the pink jersey, 11 stages before the Giro is done.<\/p>\n The Dane drove more time into his rivals on Sunday and is right where he wants to be on the rest day<\/a> \u2013 within easy striking range of surprise GC leader Afonso Eul\u00e1lio.<\/p>\n \u201cI was happy to go and take the victory. Felix Gall showed he\u2019s very strong,\u201d Vingegaard said after stage 9 on Sunday. \u201cTo gain one minute and more on Jai Hindley and others today is a good thing.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously the next goal is the time trial. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing how I go and how the others do,\u201d Vingegaard said.<\/p>\n Vingegaard is in pole position for pink, and he knows it.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how the stage 10 times trial will reshape the race.<\/p>\n Longest grand tour TT in 10 years Sorry to say it, but the most important stage of the Giro d\u2019Italia so far could also be the most boring.<\/p>\n The Viarregio test is a throwback to a bygone age of course design. There are no modern innovations to fixate a TikTok generation on stage 10.<\/p>\n At 42km in length, it\u2019s the longest grand tour TT since 2015. The Giro ruined riders\u2019 legs and tested viewers\u2019 patience with a 59.4km stage that year.<\/p>\n This supersize course is flat as you can get, and almost as straight as you can get, too.<\/p>\n Running north up the Tuscan coast, the route is dominated by a straightaway of some 20km. Six 90-degree turns and two 180s are the only technicalities on a TT for the big motors.<\/p>\n Italy\u2019s towering talisman Ganna will be salivating at this stage like it\u2019s a bowl of nonna\u2019s best ragu.<\/p>\n A course like this leaves no place to hide. Aerodynamics and power will be everything. Other factors that can influence other TTs \u2013 say, climbing prowess or explosivity \u2013 mean nothing.<\/p>\n Expect average speeds in the low 50s and finishing times in the high 40s.<\/p>\n Huge gaps could decide final podium places Vingegaard stands to ruin his rivals Tuesday.<\/p>\n The Dane and his big red Darth Vader helmet should go faster than all but one of the pink jersey pretenders.<\/p>\n After Jo\u00e3o Almeida withdrew and Adam Yates and Jay Vine abandoned, Thymen Arensman is the only GC rider better than Vingegaard on a TT bike.<\/p>\n The problem for Arensman? Despite a climbing resurgence Sunday, the diesel Dutchman won\u2019t gain enough in Tuesday\u2019s time trial to off-set his expected losses to Vingegaard in the most brutal high mountains of the third week.<\/p>\n Giro d\u2019Italia time gaps after stage 9 (differences to Vingegaard in brackets)<\/p>\n Eul\u00e1lio: GC leader Gall braces for time trial losses Stage 10 spells doom for surprise pink jersey Eul\u00e1lio. His TT skills are dire.<\/p>\n The Portuguese finished in the final quarter of the pack in his last two \u201cpure\u201d races against the clock. Only an uphill finish could spare Eul\u00e1lio\u2019s blushes when he faced off against Vingegaard more than a year ago in the Algarve \u2013 and he still lost 2 minutes in 20km.<\/p>\n The story\u2019s the same for riders chasing behind Vingegaard.<\/p>\n Based off their previous head-to-heads, Gall could lose 5-6 seconds per kilometer against the Dane on Tuesday \u2013 and that\u2019s a lot of bad news when multiplied by 42.<\/p>\n Gall acknowledged Sunday he\u2019s braced for the worst.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was in the back of my head to have a bit of a gap before the TT, which is not exactly my strength,\u201d Gall said after stage 9.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been working on my time trial, but I think it\u2019s more about managing it,\u201d he continued. \u201cI\u2019m expecting to lose time on my opponents. I hope it\u2019s not too much.\u201d<\/p>\n The Red Bull challenge from Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari could go a little better \u2013 but still not great.<\/p>\n Recent results suggest they could both lose around 3-5 seconds per kilometer. That\u2019s a total of two to three minutes, ish.<\/p>\n One wrinkle in the TT dynamic for Vingegaard? As the leader of the climber\u2019s classification, he\u2019s obliged to ride in a blue skinsuit supplied by race organizers.<\/p>\n All the aero gains he and Visma-Lease a Bike made in perfectly optimizing his team apparel will be left in the wind tunnel.<\/p>\n That will disadvantage him against Arensman, sure.<\/p>\n But this thing won\u2019t be some parachute. It\u2019s not going to be baggy enough to save riders like Gall from potentially devastating losses.<\/p>\n A new phase of the Giro d\u2019Italia starts after the TT To use a clich\u00e9 \u2013 The Giro d\u2019Italia will start proper after Tuesday\u2019s time trial.<\/p>\n Expect Vingegaard to swap his blue jersey for pink, or be just seconds away from snatching the maglia rosa from Eul\u00e1lio.<\/p>\n Also, expect his current advantage over everybody but Arensman to expand significantly.<\/p>\n From there, Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike might just engage \u201cMode: Tour de France.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lQXPEqVwJuJ914DHez2w_150426-083005-e1779026764915-1200x598.jpg\"\/)
Giro d\u2019Italia Stage 10: Barely a bump in sight. (Photo: RCS Sport)<\/p>\n![\"Giro](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/hAYRmgXlT8uxuGUlcafZ_150426-082838.jpg\"\/)
The Giro\u2019s only TT is one of long straight and a bunch of right angles. (Photo: RCS Sport)<\/p>\n
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Netcompany Ineos could emerge big winners from the Giro d\u2019Italia TT with Ganna and Arensman. (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\nVingegaard: +2:24
\nGall: +2:59 (+0:35)
\nHindley: +4:32 (+2:08)
\nScaroni: +4:43: (2:19)
\nArensman: +5:00: (+2:36)
\nRondel: +5:01 (+2:37)
\nO\u2019Connor: +5:03 (+2:39)
\nPellizzari: +5:15 (+2:51)
\nStorer: +5:20 (+2:56)<\/p>\n
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Felix Gall acknowledged he needs to make as much time on the climbs to pad his anticipated TT losses. (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Vingegaard](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2275420772.jpg\"\/)
Vingegaard needs to emerge from the Giro d\u2019Italia healthy and with his matches intact. (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n