Stage 14 of Giro d’Italia 2024 was an individual time trial on a flat, but technical 31.2-kilometer route from Castiglione delle Stiviere to Desenzano del Garda. Riders would be passing the beautiful and famous Lake Garda and the parcours were deemed excellent for time trialing specialists such as former world time trial champion Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Edoardo Affini (Team Visma – Lease a Bike). General Classification favorites such as Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) were also known for their admirable skills in time trials.

The weather conditions were very warm and as hydration sensors are currently becoming increasingly popular with professional cyclists, some riders were again seen wearing the FlowBio hydration sensors during their warmups and their actual time trials to further optimize their performances in today’s important time trial stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia. The FlowBio sensors are popular because of their high level of accuracy.

Edoardo Affini (Team Visma – Lease a Bike) set an early fastest time in today’s time trial and entered the hot seat.

Ganna caught multiple earlier starters during his time trial and powered on at impressive speed. He was clocking the fastest time at both Intermediate Timing Point 1 and 2.

While Ganna was still active on the hot Italian roads, Ganna’s teammate Tobias Foss (Ineos-Grenadiers) replaced Affini in the hot seat.

Ganna flew across the finish line to take the fastest finishing time and enter the hot seat. However, other time trialing experts were yet to start their time trials today.

Denmark’s Mikkel Bjerg set the third-best time at the finish. This would be a good guideline for teammate Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) during his time trial later this afternoon.

Additional riders passed by the shores of Lake Garda and prominent and famous people including George Clooney were cheering on the riders and their respective race favorites.

EF Education-EasyPost’s Stefan de Bod delivered a fine performance on his new Cannondale time trial bike. He was 11th best at Intermediate Timing Point 1. Jayco-Alula’s Luke Plapp was third-best at the same intermediate timing point. The Australian national time trial champion was delivering a fine performance in today’s stage.

General Classification top 3 members Geraint Thomas (), Daniel Martinez (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Tadej Pogacar had all started their warmups.

Plapp was the second-fastest rider across the finish line in Desenzano del Garda.

Ineos-Grenadiers fast man Magnus Sheffield crashed heavily while cornering. He got back on his bike and relentlessly fought on. He would be needing medication to desensitize his damaged skin tonight. Hopefully a good night’s sleep could work wonders for Sheffield.

Romain Bardet (Team DSM-Firmenich) started his time trial. Time trials had always been the Achilles heel for the proud Frenchman who was fighting for a prominent placement in the General Classification. Former weak time trial performances had cost him podium placements in previous Grand Tours.

Geraint Thomas started his time trial. He was already far behind Tadej Pogacar in the General Classification, so it was crucial for him to deliver a superb performance in today’s time trial after his lackluster performance in the previous time trial.

Dani Martinez was next on the start ramp. He looked dedicated to delivering a grand show today.

Tadej Pogacar was the last man on the start ramp and he looked brilliant in his pink race leader jersey. How would he fare in today’s time trial compared to his main competitors in the General Classification – and not least compared to stage leader Filippo Ganna?

Thomas set the third-best time at Intermediate Timing Point 1. But Martinez and Pogacar had yet to pass this timing point.

Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers) set the preliminary second-best time at the finish. The Ineos-Grenadiers riders were showing grand performances in today’s time trial.

Bang! Pogacar flew past the first timing point in a time that was better than current stage leader Ganna, Thomas and Martinez. The smiling Slovenian star cyclist had once again found the secret recipe for success in professional bike races.

Frenchman Bardet finished his time trial 03:44 minutes slower than current stage leader Ganna.

Ben O’Connor finished his time trial by setting the fifth-best time.

At Intermediate Timing Point 2 Ganna was fastest as Pogacar was ten seconds slower. He was perhaps now holding back a bit to avoid cannibalizing too much in the first Grand Tour of the 2024 season and thereby becoming too unpopular in the peloton. Martinez was in fifteenth position, 01:19 minutes behind Ganna. Thomas was fourth, 37 seconds behind Pogacar.

Thomas finished his time trial in the third-best time. How would Martinez and Pogacar fare?

Pogacar finished twenty-nine seconds behind Ganna. As Pogacar was the last rider to finish his time trial, Ganna was crowned winner of the stage 14 time trial at Giro d’Italia 2024. Pogacar finished second, 29 seconds back, while Arensman completed the stage podium.

Thomas finished fourth, 01:14 minutes behind stage winner and teammate Ganna and 38 seconds behind Pogacar. Thomas thereby lost valuable time in the General Classification and Pogacar now appeared even more likely to take the overall race victory in Rome later this month. Martinez finished fourteenth, 01:45 minutes behind Ganna.

In the General Classifcation Pogacar now leads with a 03:41 minute advantage over Thomas, who advances to second place while Martinez drops to third, 03:56 minutes behind the Slovenian race leader.

Saturday’s stage 15 of Giro d’Italia 2024 will be an epic mountain stage from Manerba del Garda to Livigno (Mottolino). The stage will be 222 kilometers long and feature three Category One climbs.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for complete race coverage from Giro d’Italia 2024.

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