Filippo Ganna Wins Shortened Vuelta Time Trial Amid Gaza Protests

Filippo Ganna of Ineos Grenadiers won the shortened 18th stage individual time trial at the Vuelta a España in Valladolid, a course reduced from 27.2km to 12.2km due to pro-Palestinian protests. Ganna, who previously won in Valladolid two years ago, completed the 12.2km in approximately 13 minutes, narrowly holding off Jay Vine of UAE Team Emirates-XRG by just one second. Despite the pressure of waiting in the hot seat for nearly three hours, Ganna remained composed, stating he struggled to find rhythm early but pushed hard in the final section. João Almeida, also from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, gained 10 seconds on overall leader Jonas Vingegaard, now trailing by 40 seconds. The organizers shortened the stage to enhance rider safety amid the protests, which had disrupted the race earlier. Ganna expressed satisfaction with his performance after a challenging Vuelta marked by illness and elevation gains.