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Thanks for joining Cyclingnews for our live stage coverage.
We also have reports on the first stage of the Itzulia Women race and the Tour de Hongrie.
The sun was out in Umbria for the time trial but there are concerns about the huge snow that has fallen in the high mountains recently. Barry Ryan has that story from Perugia
We also report on how Ganna, Thomas and other riders at Ineos used the Classified ‘front derailleur killer’ hub so they could use a single chainring set-up for better aerodynamics and chain line.
To read our full stage report and see our growing photo gallery from the TT, click below.
As the dust settles o the stage, this is the stage result and GC from our friends at First Cycling.
This is the spectacular final kilometre of Pogavar’s time trial, as he snatches the stage victory from Ganna and gains huge amounts of time on his GC rivals.
Pogacar admitted he did not have a lot of information from the team car. He just went all out.
Pogacar was proud of his performance as much as his time gain.
Sometimes Pogacar seems a little bored with the post-race obligations and keen to get away to rest up but today he seems genuinely happy today.
Now Pogacar pulls on the maglia rosa.
Pogacar enjoys his moment on the podium. His lock of blonde hair is again sticking out below his cap as he collects the different prizes for winning the time trial.
Pogacar is in control of the Giro now but the races switches again on Saturday, with the first real mountain stage deep into the central Apennines with a 14km climb to Prato di Tivo.
There was also time for fair play.
Thomas spoke briefly at the finish. He naturally not happy with his ride.
The new GC includes that big time gaps.
Pogacar’s time gains are huge.
Ganna watched Pogacar race from the hot seat but could only shake hands with
his rivals as head away in defeat.
Here’s Pogacar in action and at sped on the climb.
He knew he had won he stage and punched the air in celebration as he crossed the line.
While Thomas struggled on the climb to Perugia, Pogacar flew and pulled back a huge amount of time.
Pogacar now leads Dani Martinez by 2:36 in the Giro GC.
He beat Ganna by 17 seconds!
Pogacar sets a time of 51:44 and wins the stage!!!
He’s fast, very fast!
Here comes Pogacar!
Geraint Thomas stops the clock in a time of 53:44
Thomas is next in, then Pogacar.
Dani Martinez sets 53:33, only 1:32 down on Ganna. That’s a great ride for his GC hopes.
Thomas is on a steep section of the climb. He tries to up the speed by pushing on the pedals but Pogacar is gaining time.
Cian Uijtdebroeks has lost the white jersey to Luke Plapp.
Cian Uijtdebroeks sets a time of 54:39.
It seems Thomas is losing more and more time to Pogacar.
The climb is packed with tifosi and they cheer on Pogacar.
Thomas is fighting and trying to stay in an aero tuck even on parts of the climb.
Can Pogacar even beat Ganna and win the stage? It could be close.
Pogacar has gained 40 seconds on Thomas so far and there is still the climb to the finish to cover.
Pogacar starts the climb and dances on the pedal.
Pogacar is only 47 seconds slower than Ganna at time check 2!
Thomas is 1:27 slower than Ganna at the 2nd time check. Has he slowed a little? Has the wind placed a factor for the final riders?
Dani Martinez is chasing him and is also on the climb.
Cian Uijtdebroeks is on the climb and has switched a small chainring.
This is a thriller as Pogacar, Thomas and the GC riders race to Perugia.
O’Connor revealed he used 58-44 chainrings. He tried a 46 in his final recon of the climb but it was too big.
“I tried to get it back on while I was still moving but I had to stop. I eventually got it back on with a mechanic but it was pretty average to lose that time because I think I actually did a really good ride, my power was good.” O’Connor said.
Barry Ryan and Alasdair Fotheringham are at the finish for Cyclingnews and have told us that O’Connor’s chain came off during the TT. He had to stop and he thinks it lost 30 seconds due to the problem.
⏱️ First intermediate :🇸🇮 @TamauPogi + 44″ 🏴 @GeraintThomas86 + 52″ #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/1LVGBqMpfSMay 10, 2024
Thomas has a much lower cadence than Pogacar but it seems effective.
Pogacar has 20km to race.
Pogacar is still on the valley toad and trying to catch anything that remains from the motorbike slipstream that is 50 metres head of him.
Ben O’Connor sets a time of 53:51. That’s 7th fastest so far. That’s a good time for the GC contender.
Pogacar reaches the first time split. He is eight seconds faster than Thomas after 18km.
Geraint Thomas is fighting a huge gear, using a 66 single chainring.
At the first time split, Cian Uijtdebroeks loses 1:41 to Ganna. That’s a lot but has to be compared to his GC and white jersey rivals.
Pogacar has covered 10km and seems focused and aero as he paces his ride on the straight flat road from Foligno towards Perugia.
Luke Plapp finishes sixth, 1:28 to Ganna. We’ll know post-stage exactly how many places he climbs in the GC.
Of course, the TT is more than a Pogacar-Ganna or Pogacar-Thomas battle.
The TV motorbike is tucked low near the road as it follows Pogacar.
For the next 53 minutes it’s a race for every second.
He’s off! Pogacar starts his time trial.
Their team leader Geraint Thoms sets off for his ride.
Thymen Arensman finishes in a time of 53:44 but Ineos are dominating so far.
Martinez, Thomas and Pogacar are in the start house and doing their final mental preparations after swapping first pumps.
Cian Uijtdebroeks is off, wearing the white jersey as best young rider.
Thymen Arensman of Ineos in the final climb. He doing a good ride.
This was the moment when Ganna stopped the clock.
Plapp is 49 seconds slower than Ganna at the first intermediate time check. He is only 11th of the riders who have raced so far.
Here comes Magnus Sheffield. The young American sets 52: 33.
Max Schachmann finishes fast and sets 52:49. That is only 49 seconds down on Ganna and second fastest. That’s a superb rider by the Bora rider.
Geraint Thomas is also on the turbo, warming up for his time trial ride.
Magnus Sheffield is on the climb to Perugia. We understand that he is also using the Classified ‘front derailleur killer’ hub at the Giro d’Italia.
Pogacar is warming up in the two-tone skinsuit made by race jersey sponsor Castelli.
The USA’s Will Barta (Movistar) finishes 2:40 down on Ganna but in seventh place.
Meanwhile Tadej Pogacar is warming up in the shade of the UAE team truck.
Luke Plapp is off and starts his 40.6km TT. He could climb further up the GC today and even move into the top five.
It will also be interesting to see how Luke Plapp performs.
Can anyone beat Ganna’s time of 52:01. Perhaps only one rider and he is off last today and will race in the pink jersey.
He is now slumped on the steps of the podium as he tries to recover.
Ganna went so deep and so hard that team staff are holding him up on his bike.
Ganna finishes and sets a time of 52:01. He is 1:39 faster than Bjerg.
Ganna has a new marginal gain for the TT and we can reveal it.
There is a special reason why Ganna can change gear so often and so quickly, while using a single front chain ring.
Ganna opts for a low gear for a steep section up to the edge of Perugia.
Ganna is like a metronome as he powers on the pedals.
Ganna is powering up the climb to the finish, holding his brake levers but trying to stay aero and with a high cadence.
Mikkel Bjerg of UAE finishes and sets the new fastest tine of 53:40. He will go into the hot seat, at least until Ganna arrives.
Ganna reaches the second intermediate point in a time of 38:38. That is 1:19 faster than Affini. He caught a fourth rider just before.
Milesi is still the fastest in 53:56 and so in the hot seat.
Ganna is trying to stay as aero as possible, keeping his head low and close to the aero bars.
15km to go for Ganna. He has caught and passed a third rider, Vadim Pronskiy
of Astana Qazaqstan.
Ganna sets a time of 21:15 at the first intermediate time split, 24 faster than Cerny.
Ganna dives through a sweeping curve and his wheel jumps slightly. He’s taking risks today to try to win the stage.
He dives into a series of corners corners, almost touching the barriers with his shoulders.
Ganna is flying. He has just caught his minute-man!
Lorenzo Milesi finishes. The Under 23 TT world champion is 20 seconds faster than Hoole. He set 53:56. Wow!
Ganna is not happy after he hit a spectators’ arm just before a turn.
Here we go! Filippo Ganna is off!
Affini is fast but sets a time of 54:26, just 10 seconds slower than Hoole.
The climb to the line is making a big difference on the finish times.
Daan Hoole finishes fast and sets the new best time!
Meanwhile Mikkel Bjerg starts.
Michael Hepburn (Jayco AlUla) finishes but took it steady today, finishing more than four minutes slower than Cerny.
Affini is on he climb to the finish and clearly suffering due to the gradient.
But here comes Cerny and he is at lot faster.
Mullen is the first finisher in central Perugia.
Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek) is fast on the flat, striaght roads. He is only three seconds slower than Cerny at the intermediate split.
Fellow Italian Filippo Ganna starts in just half an hour.
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) starts, wearing the cyclamen points jersey.
Josef Cerny starts the 6km climb to the finish in Perugia.
The intermediate checks come at 18.6km and 34km before the flat run-out turns into an ascent to the finish line.
Ouch!
Former world TT champion Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers) sets off.
Performance, aerodynamics and optimisation are everything in time trials.
Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike) starts his TT and he is wearing the Giro Aerohead II time trial helmet.
In recent weeks, other helmet brands have also created bigger and wider aero TT helmets.
After Team Visma-Lease a Bike unveiled of the Giro Aerohead II time trial helmet, the UCI issued a statement, announcing it will carry out an “in-depth analysis” of its rules governing time trial helmet design.
Remember the Giro Aerohead II time trial helmet? It emerged at Tirreno-Adriatico and caused a lot of debate.
Next off is Tim van Dijke (Visma-Lease a Bike) but he is not using the Giro Aerohead II time trial helmet.
For a full preview of the time trial and for what it will mean for the GC battle, read Barry Ryan’s excellent preview feature.
The climb to Perugia makes it a difficult time trial for the big pure time trialist like Ganna, Cerny, Edoardo Affini, Mikkel Bjerg, who may also have to save himself for the his roel as a key domestique for Pogačar.
Josef Cerny (Soudal Quick Step) is also off and likely to do a good ride.
The race for the general classification will be among the later starters, with Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) set to go at 15:42.
Ryan Mullen (Bora-Hansgrohe) is second off. The Irish national champion could set the early fastest time today.
Bip, bip, bip, bip beep!
165 riders are still in the Giro and click below to see their start times today.
Already drawing attention from the ground is a brand new time trial helmet being sported by Ineos Grenadiers riders. We can’t help wondering about the UCI compliance…
We’re set for a dramatic day against the clock – likely to reset the order at the top of the race.
The action will kick off shortly at 13:10 CET with Julius van den Berg off first.
Check out the full start list from stage 7 of the Giro d’Italia.
Buongiorno and welcome to Cyclingnews‘ live coverage of stage 7 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia!