Filippo Ganna’s Tour de France
campaign ended before it had a chance to begin. After a promising spring season
that saw him go head-to-head with top names like Pogacar, Van der Poel, and
Pedersen in the monuments, the Italian had been eyeing the Tour for a serious
impact. But a crash on Stage 1 derailed everything. Though he attempted to
continue, he abandoned before the stage ended, with INEOS Grenadiers later confirming
he had suffered a concussion.

Speaking to Bici.Pro, Ganna’s time
trial coach Dario Cioni detailed the extent of the damage and the long road
back. “As soon as he got back on the bike, after a few kilometers it was clear
that he was suffering from concussion symptoms, and at that point his
withdrawal from the race was automatic.

“After a while, it became clear
that it wasn’t just a concussion, but also something very similar to a lumbago.
His neck hurt, and it took almost three weeks for him to regain normality.”
Cioni added, “He recently resumed full work, when we were certain the problems
had been overcome.”

The original plan had Ganna
pencilled in for the Tour de Pologne as a lead-up to the Vuelta, but his
recovery ruled that out. “The Vuelta was already on the agenda. There was a
moment when we considered doing the Poland stage, but in the end, with those symptoms
not resolving, the choice was forced. The conditions weren’t there, nor was
there time to return to racing any earlier. You can’t send a rider who’s just
got back in the saddle to compete in a high-level race.”

Cioni also reflected on what the
missed Tour might mean for the rest of Ganna’s season. “It’s hard to estimate
how much he lost, but the good news is that he was doing well. If he had
completed 4 or 5 stages, it would have been better because he would have worked
and had a chance to recover from the crash.

“However, stopping so quickly,
after a few days of not working much, was negative. In any case, if you stop
when you’re feeling well, you lose less than if you were forced to stop when
you’re finished.”

As for his late-season goals, the
World Championships are off the table. “No, in the sense that the World
Championships are still too tough. I think the European Championships are more
within his reach, but before making such considerations, it’s better to race
the Vuelta and then take stock of the situation.”

Cioni confirmed his presence at
Ganna’s side during key Vuelta stages: “I’ll be with Filippo at the Vuelta for
the team time trial on day five and the individual time trial in Valladolid on
day eighteen. We’ll see how it goes, and then we can possibly talk to Villa
about participating in the European Championships.”