Men's 2020 Cycling World Championships Individual Time Trial - As it happened

Updated 25/09/2020 at 15:11 GMT

Re-live the men's individual time trial at the Cycling World Championships in Imola as Italy and Ineos rider Filippo Ganna became the first Italian World Champion in UCI Time Trial history, winning by 26 seconds ahead of Wout van Aert, with Stefan Kung third. Geraint Thomas, who had led for much of the afternoon, finished fourth, while there was no hat-trick of rainbow jerseys for Rohan Dennis.

Italy's Filippo Ganna competes in the Men's Elite Individual Time Trial at the UCI 2020 Road World Championships in Imola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, on September 25, 2020

Image credit: Getty Images

15:36 - A changing of the guard?

Filippo Ganna's win was so dominant that it raises the question; is this an indication that the time trial baton has been passed on to a new generation? The 24-year-old won by 26 seconds from another youngster, the remarkable Wout van Aert, with Dennis, Thomas and Dumoulin not even making the podium.

Ganna, who rides for Ineos, has won just six races on the road in his career, but all of them have been time trials.

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15:32 - Filippo Ganna is World Champion

The finish line isn't even in sight for Dennis as he goes behind Ganna's time, and that confirms the Italian as World Time Trial Champion. What a performance!

Podium:

Filippo Ganna 35:54
Wout van Aert + 00:26
Stefan Kung + 00:29

15:30 - Has Ganna just won it?

Ganna crosses the line in a ridiculous time of 35:54:10 to move into a massive lead. He's not going to get beaten here surely?

15:29 - Not Dumoulin's day

Tom Dumoulin only just makes the top ten after a wobble on a technical corner with about 5km remaining took away all of his momentum.

15:24 - Wout van Aert takes the lead!

"Is there anything he can't do?!"

Rob Hatch can barely believe it as Wout van Aert finishes a Herculean effort in the second half of the course to take the overall lead away from Geraint Thomas.

Current Podium:

Van Aert 36:20
Kung + 00:03
Thomas + 00:11

15:18 - Can anyone stop Ganna?

15:14 - Is Dennis out of it?

The defending champion comes through 20 seconds down on Thomas, and so waaay down on Ganna. It's going to take something silly for the Australian to make it a hat-trick of world titles from here.

Current Podium:

Thomas 36:31
Leknessund + 00:53
Affini + 00:54

15:12 - Remarkable riding by Ganna

Woah! Filippo Ganna has just smashed through the intermediate time check over half a minute up on Thomas. That is extraordinary cycling and the Italian is very much living up to his tag as one of the favourites.

15:10 - Van Aert in contention

Wout van Aert goes through the time check just 10 seconds down on Thomas which means he's very much in contention. Stefan Kung comes through even faster, six seconds down on Thomas, and Dumoulin almost matches Van Aert's time. This is getting tight!

Current Podium:

Thomas 36:31
Affini + 00:54
Durbridge + 00:59

15:01 - Thomas storms into lead

That is a stunning ride by Geraint Thomas and he's given himself an incredible chance here. The Welshman demolishes Affini's time and moves into the lead by almost a minute!

Current Podium:

Thomas 36:31
Affini + 00:54
Durbridge + 00:59

14:56 - Dennis starts his defence

The 2018 and 2019 champion Rohan Dennis is underway and that means that all riders have started the time trial.

He'll have Thomas in his sights...

14:54 - Big names getting underway

Wout van Aert and Tom Dumoulin are both out on the road, and it looks like they'll be chasing Geraint Thomas - barring a late bonk for the Welshman

Current Podium:

Affini 37:25
Durbridge +00:05
Berg +00:16

14:45 - Thomas storming it

Geraint Thomas is showing some serious form here and leads by 25 seconds at the intermediate time check.

14:41 - Double dutch?

Tom Dumoulin isn't far away from getting his day underway, and the Dutch rider will be hoping to make it a Netherlands double in Imola following Anna van der Breggen's win yesterday.

Van der Breggen put in a storming performance to finish 15 seconds ahead of Marlen Reusser and take her first time trial world title after finishing second in each of the last three years.

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However, unfortunately Van der Breggen's performance wasn't the only big story of the day. Defending champion Chloe Dygert's horror crash put the American in hospital, although thankfully she is relatively okay... although 'okay' might not be the right word given her gruesome injuries.

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14:32 - Home rider takes the lead

It was no real surprise that Max Walscheid lost his lead, but it's an impressive performance by home rider Edoardo Affini to take top spot. His Mitchelton-Scott teammate Luke Durbridge finishes just moments later, but is marginally short of matching the Italian's time and moves into second as things stand.

Current Podium:

Affini 37:25
Durbridge +00:05
Walscheid +00:26

14:25 - Max Walscheid sets the pace

Walscheid has posted the fastest time so far, but it would be a surprise if he remains on the top spot of the podium. GB's Geraint Thomas is underway as the first of the real star names to roll out. Thomas isn't riding in Sunday's road race due to the Ineos coronavirus rules (he needs to be in the 'bubble' a week before the start of the Giro d'Italia) and is a bit of a dark horse today.

14:05 - Fastest so far

The first ten riders are through the intermediate sprint, and it's Germany's Max Walscheid who is setting the pace with 19:39.60. The rain is beginning to fall now, which adds a tricky element for those yet to start. All of the big-hitters will be on the road inside the next hour.

13:40 - Worrying weather approaching

The sky is extremely dark on the horizon in Imola and some of the big names might have to contend with very tricky conditions if those clouds do arrive.

13:30 - Away we go

A. B. Wais of Syria gets the racing underway and the riders will roll out in 90 second intervals. We're expecting a result in just over two hours' time.

Last year's race

Australian time trial specialist Rohan Dennis dominated over the 54km distance in 2019, winning by over a minute ahead of Remco Evenepoel. Filippo Ganna was third.

Evenepoel's dramatic crash in Il Lombardia back in August means he will not be in contention this year, but both Dennis and Ganna will hope to make the podium at the absolute minimum.

Welcome to our LIVE updates

Good afternoon and welcome to our live updates of the Men's Time Trial at the Worlds in Imola. Filippo Ganna and Rohan Dennis are the favourites, but there are plenty of strong riders who will hope to challenge for the rainbow bands, not least the multi-talented Wout van Aert and his Jumbo-Visma teammate Tom Dumoulin.

Why Imola?

The 2020 World Championships had been scheduled to be held in Switzerland, but a Swiss government extension of Covid-19 quarantine restrictions forced the UCI into a late venue change, moving the event to Imola.

As well as a venue change there was also a change in schedule, with the two individual time trials moved and the junior and U23 events postponed for a year, meaning that the 2020 Worlds will consist of four races across four days from Thursday 24 September to Sunday 24 September.