Italy’s Filippo Ganna dominated the opening day of Tirreno-Adriatico, crushing the 11.5km time trial along the Lido di Camaiore coastline to win by a commanding margin of 23 seconds.

The course was tailor-made for the Ineos Grenadiers powerhouse, a two-time world time trial champion and Paris Olympics silver medalist. With barely a corner to navigate, Ganna powered to victory in 12 minutes and 17 seconds, averaging an eye-watering 56.173 km/h.

“It’s lovely to win by such a margin, and I was faster than last year too,” Ganna said after the stage. “I've done a very nice TT today, so I'm really happy. Dario [Cioni] gave me the indications towards the finish line. With the same time as Juan Ayuso at halfway, I was super motivated for the second part. I've made quite a big gap there. I've trained a lot for this TT and everything else that's coming up. I did much better than one year ago when I lost by one second. I’m also looking forward to performing in the rest of this Tirreno-Adriatico.”

Simon Yates Makes 2025 Debut In Tirreno-Adriatico

Defending champion Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates XRG) finished second, 23 seconds adrift, a strong start for his title defense as he gained valuable time on overall contenders like Tom Pidcock, Pello Bilbao, and Richard Carapaz.

Ayuso initially led Ganna by two seconds at the halfway mark, but Ganna’s sheer power on the return leg flipped the script. The Italian’s track racing background was on full display as he delivered an elegant and commanding ride.

Johan Price-Pejtersen of Alpecin-Deceuninck took third place, 28 seconds behind Ganna, rounding out the podium.

Spain’s Ayuso, known for his climbing prowess, showcased his strength in the race against the clock, proving once again that he’s no slouch in individual efforts. The result gives him a solid platform for the mountainous stages to come.

Meanwhile, Simon Yates made his debut for Visma-Lease a Bike, using this race as an early-season gauge ahead of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.

Stage 1 Provisional Results

• Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) – 11.5 km in 12'17", average speed 56.173 km/h
• Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates XRG) – at 23"
• Johan Price-Pejtersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – at 28"
• Antonio Tiberi – at TBC
• Jonathan Milan – at TBC

General Classification After Stage 1

• Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers)
• Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates XRG) – at 23"
• Johan Price-Pejtersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – at 28"

With Ganna’s explosive start, he’ll wear the leader’s jersey into Stage 2, a sprinter-friendly day that should see the fast men take center stage. However, for the GC contenders, the real battles will begin later in the week when the race hits the mountains.