Italian powerhouse Filippo Ganna motored to his seventh national time-trial title and fifth in a row on Thursday.
The 29-year-old Netcompany Ineos rider blasted around the 40km course from Vicoforte to Barolo in northwest Italy in 47min 39sec.
The two-time world champion in the discipline finished 2min 06sec ahead of Luca Giaimi in second with Mattia Cattaneo third at 2:36.
Ganna has enjoyed a fine season, taking a sensationally victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen in April, catching breakaway rider Wout van Aert in the final 100 metres.
He has also won individual time-trials at the Giro d'Italia, Tirreno-Adriatico and Volta ao Algarve this year.
Ganna 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 the tricolore 🇮🇹⏱️
— Velon CC (@VelonCC) June 25, 2026
Filippo Ganna has claimed his seventh Elite Italian ITT national title, his fifth consecutive victory, and becomes the most successful rider in the history of the championship, surpassing Marco Pinotti’s six wins.
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Young Italian star Lorenzo Finn, who last week won the Giro Next Gen stage race for U23 riders, came sixth at 3:23.
The 19-year-old won world road race titles at junior and U23 levels in the last two years.
The race may prove to have dealt a serious blow to Dane Jonas Vingegaard's hopes of winning the Tour de France, which starts next week.
The Visma-Lease a Bike leader, who is hoping to dethrone world champion Tadej Pogacar at the Grande Boucle, may be without one of his key lieutenants when the race begins in Barcelona on July 4.
Edoardo Affini was taken to hospital by an ambulance after crashing badly during his race.
Vingegaard has already lost Van Aert from his Tour team after the Belgian Paris-Roubaix winner suffered an elbow infection.
The Tour begins with a team time-trial and Affini is crucial to Visma's strength in that discipline.