The Giro d’Italia drew to a close on the historic roads of Rome, the ‘Eternal City’ setting the stage for a dazzling curtain call after three attritional weeks of racing. As is so often the way, the run into the city centre had a festive feel before a small breakaway got a head start in the finishing circuits. But inevitably it all came down to a bunch gallop, and it was won by Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan).
All the GC riders finished safely to ink the standings pencilled in after stage 20, meaning Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) has sealed his first Giro title, with Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) joining him on the podium in second and third.
- With stage 21 victory, Mark Cavendish has poetically won his very last Giro d’Italia stage, 15 years after he won his first Grand Tour stage at the Italian race. It’s also his first win of the 2023 season, and in style, keeping the Tour de France stage record dream alive…
- Roglič’s long-awaited Giro victory happens also to mark the first three-week race the Slovenian has finished since his successful run at the Vuelta in 2021, and of the Grand Tours he’s completed, he’s won four of the last five. His consistency is such that unless misfortune forced him off the race entirely, he hasn’t finished off the podium since fourth at the 2018 Tour.
- The breakaway of the day – which didn’t go clear until about the halfway point – was comprised of Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Hansgrohe), Maxime Bouet (Arkéa Samsic) and Toms Skujiņš (Trek-Segafredo), and the Latvian provided a bit of unexpected drama mid-stage as he went after points in the under-the-radar intermediate sprints competition. He started the day with an 11-point deficit to Giro breakout star Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), and with plenty of points up for grabs in Rome, there was a trip to the podium at stake. His Canadian rival did his best to gather some scraps out of the peloton, but Skujiņš had the advantage being out front and took the maximum of 20 points to cap off a solid Giro for the Latvian.
- This development meant that Derek Gee came second not just on four stages, but also KOM, Points, Fuga (breakaway) and Intermediate Sprint competitions… He was , however, the “absolutely undisputed” winner of the Giro’s ‘super combative’ rider award. And well deserved.
- That uniquely cycling classification, the hallowed position at the other end of the GC table, goes to Nicolas Dalla Valle (Corratec-Selle Italia). The Italian doesn’t get to wear a distinct jersey, but it’s often a point of pride, especially for a home rider, to be listed as the maglia nera.
Brief stage results:
- Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan)
- Alex Kirsch (Trek-Segafredo)
- Filippo Fiorelli (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè)
- Alberto Dainese (DSM)
- Alexander Krieger (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Final GC:
- Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma)
- Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) +14s
- João Almeida (UAE Emirates) +1:15
- Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) +4:40
- Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) +5:43
GC debrief:
Analysis:
- Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) tried to capitalise on his new favourite move in the finishing straight, that is to open up his sprint really early. But on this occasion, Cavendish was ready to react, flying off Jonathan Milan’s (Bahrain Victorious) wheel and into Gaviria’s slipstream with enough pace to slingshot across the line with room to spare.
- Before the bunch got to the line, the ‘Manx Missile’ gained an extra teammate in the last 1500 metres as second-place overall Geraint Thomas reappeared at the front of the bunch. As the Welshman drew alongside Luis Leon Sanchez, Cav’s last remaining teammate, Thomas shouted something – “Get on my wheel!” – and did a massive pull for his compatriot. It was a remarkable moment shared between riders who’ve known and raced together for well over a decade.
Bonus teammate for Cav:
Quote of the day:
Cav was his usual pointed self in his stage winner’s interview, but he couldn’t hide his utter delight at having won his last Giro stage, and with former teammate Thomas’s help along with his relatively new Astana Qazaqstan colleagues.
“I’m super happy. It was a long, hard slog to get here to the end of the Giro, but we got close a couple of times before, and my boys did incredible – and my friends did incredible. I just had some great friends today, you know. Long time friends… Pretty emotional, to be fair.
“My first Grand Tour victory was in 2008 at the Giro, down in Reggio Calabria. So to win here in Rome, it’s beautiful. That’s a bucket-list sprint to be able to do, outside the Colosseum. I’m just so happy. So happy.”
Podium moment:
Social media review:
Hugs all round for Cav after winning his last-ever Giro stage.
First and last on GC share a moment.
Roglič has had quite a season (so far) and quite a career.
He might not have got a stage win, but boy, did he come close, so Israel-Premier Tech organised a special surprise for the Canadian now-superstar, Derek Gee.
Thibaut Pinot said goodbye to his final Giro d’Italia with a trip to the podium having won the maglia azzurra of mountains classification winner.
Reading list:
Naturally swept up in the extraordinary drama that took place a few kilometres from the Slovenian border on stage 20 – as we all were – Kate Wagner was on hand to describe exactly what Roglič’s Giro victory means and how it feels, as only she can.
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