Valdobbiadene's time trial was a major factor in the overall race for the Giro d'Italia, but no one was able to climb higher in the rankings than UAE Team Emirates climber Brandon McNulty.

The American started the day outside the top 10, but finished the day within reach of the podium in third place behind the Ineos Grenadiers pair of Filippo Ganna and Rohan Dennis in an undulating test through the vineyards of the Conegliano hinterland.

McNulty set the third fastest time behind Ganna and Dennis in the first time check on the short but steep Ca' del Poggio at the 7.4 km mark.

By the time McNulty crumpled across the finish line, he had stopped the clock 1:09 behind Ganna. Meanwhile, on the course, it was already clear that the racers just ahead of him on GC would struggle to match his pace.

"When I warmed up on the trainer, my legs felt really bad," he said. But I thought I was in good shape today because I was right there with Ganna in the first split. But I was alongside Ganna in the first split, so I thought I was in good shape today." [The team sent me a pacing strategy beforehand, so I knew I had to be on the borderline of pushing and saving in the early sections. Then on the climbs, I went full throttle. Then you just have to take a little risk on the descent and go full throttle again."

McNulty might have been closing in on Joao Almeida's (Dečuninck-Quick Step) Maria Rosa had it not been for Joursan in the rain-soaked mountains of Sira on the first day of the Giro in mainland Italy. He is now in fourth place overall, 2:23 behind Portugal's Neo Pro and only 12 seconds behind Pello Bilbao's third place.

Men like Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) and Domenico Pozzovivo (NTT Pro Cycling) still have to finish, as McNulty told us on Saturday afternoon, but he already jumped them in the overall standings He knew it. In this most unpredictable of Giro's, a podium finish was suddenly a possibility.

"Yes," he said. And then there's the last TT in Milan. 'There's the last TT in Milan. Especially because it's pretty flat.

A week before the Giro began, McNulty finished a disappointing 29th in the world championship time trial in Imola. Since then, especially in the last six days of the Giro, his form has been on the rise.

Before Corsarosa, the longest race for the 22-year-old was the 10-day Tour de l'Avenir in 2018, but he has been at his best in Italy since reaching that stage, starting with a stunning second place in the Tortoreto Lido on stage 10. His podium aspirations will soon be put to the test in the Giro, where he will tackle three passes before a tough summit finish in Piancavallo on Sunday afternoon.

"I've never done a race this long before, so every day was a surprise, especially after stages 9 and 10. I've never done a race this long before, especially after stages 9 and 10," McNulty said. It's been really good."