US star Jorgenson loses seconds to rivals Roglič, Del Toro in the race that replaces his Paris-Nice title defense.
Jorgenson is racing the Vuelta for the first time. (Photo: MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
Updated March 9, 2026 09:29AM
Filippo Ganna did as expected while Primož Roglič did the unexpected Monday in the opening time trial of Tirreno-Adriatico.
The Italian stallion Ganna demolished the opposition in the pan-flat 12km out-and-back to top an Ineos Grenadiers 1-2 in Lido di Camaiore.
The two-time TT champion rolled a 57kph ride that put him close to 2km faster than his rivals and into the race-leader’s jersey.
Ganna’s teammate Thymen Arensman finished second with young American Magnus Sheffield in fourth to make it a good day for the British team. Rumors first stoked by Cyclingnews and Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday suggest the team has secured a new multi-million dollar sponsor for the near future.
Meanwhile, Roglič roared back to racing for the first time in 2026 with a monster TT that reminded the world that this old dog ain’t done yet.
The Slovenian veteran bettered all his GC rivals for the 7-day Italian tour bar Arensman, with Antonio Tiberi and Isaac del Toro the next-best of the classification pack.
Matteo Jorgenson finished 44 seconds down on stage-winner Ganna, or 22 seconds down on best climber Arensman in what might have been a disappointing ride for the U.S. star.
The 26-year-old has been one of the understated sensations of the early season after hitting top top-4s across “the French opening weekend” and bracing back against Tadej Pogačar at Strade Bianche to hit the top-10 in Siena.
Jorgenson shook up his calendar for 2026 and skipped his Paris-Nice title defense to race “Across Two Seas” in Italy this week. He’s aiming at another marquee stage-race victory as he builds toward the Ardennes classics.
A tough uphill gravel final on Tuesday offers Jorgenson the chance to claw back seconds.
