If the Italian Alessandro Covi took a prestigious success alone in this 20th stage of 168 kilometers, Hindley struck the decisive blow at the end of a long wait.

"You had to be patient," commented the Australian, on his way to winning his first grand tour at 26.

With a 1 min 25 sec lead over Carapaz before the 17.4 kilometer long final time trial, Hindley seems sheltered from the misadventure that befell him in the Giro 2020. He had already taken the pink jersey on the eve of the finish and had lost it in the Milan time trial.

But his advantage was then equal to... zero seconds over his rival, the Briton Tao Geoghegan Hart who had then surpassed him.

Less than two years later, since the Giro 2020 had taken place in October, the Australian from the Bora team presents himself in a position of strength.

He has for him the physical freshness in a Giro which he approached + moderato allegro +, like his only stage success at the Blockhaus (9th stage) in which he had been left behind for a time.

In the Dolomites, Hindley justified the impression of great ease left throughout the third week of racing.

The Bahrain team of Spaniard Mikel Landa ensured the rhythm within the peloton, but at a distance (nearly six minutes) from the breakaway.

Then Carapaz's men (Tulett and especially Sivakov) rode at full speed on the first steep slopes of Fedaia before the Australian attacked some 3,500 meters from the summit.

The Australian Jai Hindley, 6th at the finish of the 20th and penultimate stage, won by the Italian Alessandro Covi, on May 28, 2022 at Passo Fedaia, is the new leader of the Giro Roberto Bettini AFP

Carapaz in default

Carapaz, who thought he was favored by the high altitude (2057 m), gave in on a second acceleration shortly after passing under the banner for the last 3 kilometers.

The winner of the 2019 Giro, followed by a teammate from Hindley (Kämna), found himself in great pain.

He was even overtaken by Landa to whom he gave up around thirty seconds.

Australian Jai Hindley drops Giro leader Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz (g) during the 20th and penultimate stage, won by Italian Alessandro Covi, on May 28, 2022 at Passo Fedaia Luca Bettini AFP

For the stage victory, near the artificial lake created at the foot of the Marmolada glacier, Covi saved the balance sheet of the UAE team which bet in this Giro on the Portuguese Joao Almeida (abandonment Thursday because of covid-19) in the absence of Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, focused on the Tour de France.

The young Piedmontese (23) finally hit the target after his places of honor in the Giro 2021, in Montalcino in the "white paths" stage (2nd) and at Monte Zoncolan (3rd).

"I'm not a pure climber, that's why I had to get ahead before the last climb", explained Covi, who broke away from the breakaway from the Pordoi, the second of three climbs of the day, more than 50 kilometers from the finish.

"In the last kilometers, my legs were very painful, I was not far from having cramps".

The joy of Italian Alessandro Covi, winner of the 20th and penultimate stage of the Giro, on May 28, 2022 at Passo Fedaia Roberto Bettini AFP

On Sunday, the final time trial takes the Torricelle circuit in Verona, used during the 1999 and 2004 Worlds.

The 2019 Giro won by Carapaz ended with an identical time, until the arrival in the famous arenas where the Italian Francesco Moser surpassed the Frenchman Laurent Fignon in a memorable edition in 1984.

© 2022 AFP