Date: Tuesday, May 20
Distance: 28.6km ITT
Start location: Lucca
Finish location: Pisa
Start time: 13:15 CEST
Finish time: 17:14 CEST (approx.)
Reflecting the era when Pisa was one of the most powerful maritime republics in Europe, the Piazza dei Miracoli is home to some of the finest examples of medieval architecture. At its heart is Pisa Cathedral, a grand Romanesque building dating back to the eleventh century, striking for its grey marble and white stone. It’s flanked by the domed Baptistery of San Giovanni, which, standing at over 50 metres, is the largest of its kind in Italy; and the Camposanto Monumentale cemetery, decorated with beautiful frescoes.
But all of these have been eclipsed in fame by the fourth building — the Leaning Tower of
Pisa. First begun in 1173 as a clock tower for the cathedral, the soft, unstable foundations of the marshy soil on which it was built caused consternation as it started to tilt. Yet almost a millennium later, it still stands proud, surviving multiple earthquakes and the ravages of time that have seen it lean further from one degree to as much as 5.5 degrees 35 years ago, to become one of the most recognisable tourist attractions in the world.
Though the tower’s imperfection is precisely what makes it so appealing to the popular
imagination, for those riders who will arrive beside it at the finish of today’s 28.6km individual time trial hoping to be in contention for the stage win, it’s more likely to cause a wince. For a discipline in which aerodynamics is such an obsession, such asymmetry is an anathema.
The stage will be the second and last time trial of this year’s Giro. Added to the 13.7km stage in Tirana, the kilometres completed today bring the total number against the clock to 42.3km — considerably less than both the previous two editions, which contained 71.8km in 2024 and 73.2km in 2023. Instead, this is a Giro route that aims to test many facets of the GC contenders’ armoury, as evidenced by the three preceding stages at the end of the first week that in turn posed the challenge of climbing long Apennine mountains, climbing short ‘wall’ hills, and gravel roads.
Yet there’s still scope for the time trial today to have a significant impact on the GC.
It’s not just about the total number of time trialling kilometres, but the nature of them, and the swing between the pure specialists and the climbers who need to limit their losses was mitigated in the last two editions by the fact that many of them were uphill. Today’s stage, by contrast, is virtually entirely flat, avoiding the surrounding Tuscan hills. There’s the potential for the stronger time triallists to put in excess of a minute into their rivals, and to start the second week by changing the complexion of the GC race.
Contenders
Among the top contenders is Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), who claimed victory in the 13.7 km time trial in Tirana on stage two. His impressive performance at just 21 years old has marked him as one of the time trial stars. Again, he will be up against a man whom he narrowly beat on stage two, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who finished just one second behind Tarling, and is known for his time trial prowess.
Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) secured third place in Tirana, showcasing his time trial capabilities. His strong performance indicates he could challenge for the top spot in Pisa. His teammate Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) has been in strong form, securing a stage victory in the mountains. While not a time trial specialist, his recent performances suggest he could surprise on this stage. Likewise their other teammate Brandon McNulty is in with a shout of winning but most intriguing of all is the new maglia rosa Isaac del Toro, who has been extremely impressive so far this race and placed 12th on stage two.
Other GC rider who are capable of putting in a good time trial are Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious), Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers).
Time trial specialist Edoardo Affini (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) was strong on stage two and his teammate Wout van Aert could be a resurgent force after a rousing win on stage nine. Lidl-Trek's trio Mathias Vacek, Mads Pedersen and Daan Hoole can all compete well against the clock and could continue the team's stunning Giro d'Italia.
Prediction
We think Josh Tarling will take his second time trial win of this Giro d'Italia.
