Australia emerged as one of the biggest winners from stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia after Ben O’Connor, Jai Hindley and Michael Storer all finished the day inside the overall top 10 following a demanding 42km individual time trial.
The stage, designed largely for time-trial specialists, saw Italian star Filippo Ganna completely dominate the field. Riding at an average speed of nearly 55km/h, Ganna stormed to victory by 1 minute and 54 seconds over INEOS teammate Thymen Arensman, underlining why he remains one of the strongest riders against the clock in world cycling.
While Ganna took the stage win, the biggest story for Australian fans was the reshuffling in the general classification standings.
Ben O’Connor Climbs Into Fifth Overall
Ben O’Connor delivered one of the best rides of his Giro campaign so far, finishing 11th on the stage and emerging as the third-best performer among the riders targeting the overall title in Rome. The strong result pushed the Decathlon AG2R rider up three places into fifth overall, leapfrogging fellow West Australian Jai Hindley.
Speaking after the stage, O’Connor said the course reminded him of the long Australian Time Trial Association rides he grew up racing around Chidlow and Mundaring in the Perth countryside.
“It’s my bread and butter,” O’Connor said, explaining that those early 40km time trials were effectively his introduction to road cycling.
The Australian also admitted the effort was physically brutal, especially after struggling with illness during stage nine. He revealed he felt much stronger after the rest day and was pleased with how smoothly the ride unfolded despite fading slightly in the final kilometres.
According to the official Giro d’Italia website, only Thymen Arensman and Canadian rider Derek Gee produced better time trial performances among the leading GC contenders.
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Hindley Battles Through Illness as Storer Gains Ground
Jai Hindley endured a more difficult day. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider appeared exhausted after the finish and lost more than a minute to O’Connor, finishing 22nd on the stage. Hindley, who was also reportedly dealing with mild sickness earlier in the race, did not speak to media afterward.
Michael Storer quietly continued his impressive Giro by moving from 10th to seventh overall after another steady performance.
The overall race lead remains with Portugal’s Afonso Eulálio, who managed to hold onto the pink jersey despite pressure from pre-race favourite Jonas Vingegaard. The Danish rider admitted the flat course did not suit his strengths but still limited his losses well enough to remain second overall.
For more cycling coverage, readers can also check Swikblog’s report on the Tour de France 2027 UK stages.
Stage 11 now shifts the Giro back into hillier terrain with a 195km route from Porcari to Chiavari featuring three categorised climbs in the second half of the race. With several contenders separated by narrow margins, the battle for the podium is expected to intensify further.
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