Briton Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos), 25-year-old Londoner, finally won the Giro d'Italia on Sunday, October 25 in Milan, ahead of his rival, Australian Jay Hindley, second at 38 seconds.
At the start of the stage, they were only separated by 86 hundredths of a second.
In a race rich in firsts: since never yet two riders had presented themselves at the start of the last stage of a Giro with equal time;
Geoghegan Hart donned his first pink jersey on the last day of the race, upon arrival in Milan.
Between Hindley and Geoghegan Hart, tied for time at the start of the 15.7 kilometers, the suspense only lasted a few moments.
Hindley, who wore the pink jersey, had already dropped 22 seconds in the intermediate score, after 10.3 kilometers.
Dreams come true!
Introducing a new British Grand Tour winner.
Tao Geoghegan Hart wins the #Giro d'Italia!
pic.twitter.com/lekA9X8ACy
- INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) October 25, 2020
Hindley, 24, however, becomes the first Australian to appear on the podium of a Giro.
Geogeghan Hart, 25, is the second Briton to win the centenary race (created in 1909), two years after Chris Froome, who had achieved an incredible turnaround two days from the finish in 2018.
Revenge for Ineos
Since his professional debut in 2017, in the Sky team which became Ineos, the Londoner had only two stage successes in the 2019 Tour des Alpes. Until now, he was confined to a role of lieutenant for his leaders.
For Ineos, by far the richest team in the peloton, the performance has the value of partial revenge after its scathing failure at the Tour de France.
The outgoing winner, the Colombian Egan Bernal, designated sole leader, had to retire in the third week.
📽️The Last Km before entering the history books.
Well done @taogeoghegan!
📽️L'Ultimo Km prima di entrare nella storia.
Well done @taogeoghegan!
📽️El último kilómetro antes de hacer historia.
¡Well done @taogeoghegan!
📽️The last km to make history!
Well done @taogeoghegan! #Giro pic.twitter.com/08ZoHAZgGb
- Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2020
The 21st stage, a 15.7 kilometer time trial, went to the Italian Filippo Ganna, world champion in the discipline who won the three times of this Giro 2020. Ganna, winner at more than 54 km / h on average, brought a seventh success to the British team Ineos who won a third of the stages of the event, despite the abandonment on the third day of racing by its leader, the Welshman Geraint Thomas.
In the final Giro standings, the Dutchman Wilco Kelderman took third place, 1 min 29 seconds behind the winner, and the Portuguese João Almeida, long leader of the event, the fourth.
This 103rd edition of the Giro was able to go to completion, despite the sharp upsurge in Covid-19 cases in Italy, like the rest of Europe.
Several riders, including two podium candidates (S. Yates, Kruijswijk), have tested positive for the coronavirus and two teams (Mitchelton and Jumbo) have chosen to withdraw before the mid-point.
But the race was able to take place at the cost of drastic measures, in particular the absence of an audience at the finish to greet the final winner in front of the Duomo in Milan.
With AFP
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