Some riders master the clock; others simply tear it to pieces. Filippo Ganna, who turns 30 this Saturday, has been doing exactly that for years. Ever since his Giro d’Italia debut in 2020, when he lit up the opening time trial in Palermo and pulled on the Maglia Rosa at the first opportunity, the Giant of Verbania has transformed every appearance in the Corsa Rosa into a display of sheer power.

It was that extraordinary autumn, the one of face masks and empty roads, that marked the beginning of his enduring bond with Italy’s Grand Tour. Ganna dominated the 2020 edition, winning four stages – the three individual time trials and the road stage to Valdobbiadene – before adding two more victories in 2021, in the opening time trial in Turin and the closing test against the clock in Milan. He returned to the top step again in 2024, sharing the time trials honours with Tadej Pogačar after each rider claimed one victory, taking his tally to eight Giro stage wins.

8 Giro stages, 5 days in Maglia Rosa

His Giro d’Italia tally rose to eight victories this May thanks to his jaw-dropping performance between Viareggio and Massa: covering the 42-kilometre course at an astonishing average speed of 54.921 km/h, he finished 1’54” clear of the runner-up. It was a commanding display that saw him draw level with Eddy Merckx for the second-most individual time trial victories in Giro history. Only Francesco Moser, with 12, has won more against the clock in the Corsa Rosa.

Olympic champion in the team pursuit, four-time world champion in the individual pursuit and holder of the UCI Hour Record at 56.792 kilometres, Ganna embodies a vision of cycling where raw power, technical perfection and boundless ambition go hand in hand.

At 30, ‘Pippo’s’ story with the Giro d’Italia feels far from complete. Happy birthday, ‘Top Ganna’!