Watch all the action from the 2024 Giro d'Italia live and free on SBS VICELAND from May 4-26, with all the replays and highlights on , plus news, analysis and much more on the SBS Sport website.
Pogacar came into the day holding a 46-second lead over his general classification rivals, but by the time the 40.6-kilometre route from Foligno was in the books, the gap had grown to 2’36”.
Such was the Slovenian’s dominance, not even Filippo Ganna could prevent the race favourite from winning his second stage of the week.
Ganna, believed to be one of, if not the greatest time trialist in the sport, set a time of 52 minutes and a solitary second ahead of Pogacar’s reply, enough to lead all challengers.
As Pogacar reached the second intermediate checkpoint, Ganna’s advantage remained intact – the Italian watching with angst alongside Australian Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla).
By the time of the stage’s final climb to the finish, everything changed; Pogacar launched up the road at a spectacular speed and with a burst of power that soon tipped the balance in his favour.
The UAE Team Emirates star would eventually cross the finish line 17 seconds faster than Ganna to win the stage and tighten his grip on the maglia rosa.
“I started a bit with an easier pace and had to get used to the TT bike,” Pogacar said. “Then I paced myself until the climb and then went full gas so I’m super-happy with today.
“I knew the climb suited me and that was my advantage, especially as it was quite steep.”
Ganna’s Ineos Grenadiers teammate Magnus Sheffield was third-fastest on the day, followed by Thymen Arensman, Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), and Plapp.
