Tour of Italy
Primoz Roglic was the first Slovenian to win the Giro d’Italia. As expected, the 33-year-old won the final stage in Rome on Sunday and ended up 14 seconds ahead of Brit Geraint Thomas. Third went to Portugal’s Joao Almeida, 1:15 back. The British veteran Mark Cavendish won the final stage.
The 126-kilometer last stage, starting and finishing in Rome, was a matter for the sprinters. The 38-year-old former world champion Cavendish from the Astana team, who announced his retirement at the end of the season during the Giro, asserted himself confidently and celebrated his 17th stage win in the Tour of Italy.
For Roglic it is the fourth Grand Tour triumph overall, he had won the Vuelta three times. The Tokyo 2021 Olympic time trial champion from the jumbo team was no longer attacked at the showdown on a flat circuit in Rome. “It stays for the rest of my life,” Roglic commented on his success. “I really enjoyed driving the streets of Rome. But I still haven’t realized what it means to win the Giro d’Italia. I was trying to keep my emotions in check after what happened yesterday.”
Roglic only secured the leader’s pink jersey on the penultimate stage. Ironically, in a mountain time trial near his home in Slovenia, he caught up 26 seconds behind Thomas. Three years ago, on the penultimate day of the Tour de France, Roglic led the mountain time trial to Planche des Belle Filles, but was unable to defend his lead of 57 seconds over his compatriot Tadej Pogacar.
Giro: Roglic triumphs as the first Slovenian
Primoz Roglic was the first Slovenian to win the Giro d’Italia. As expected, the 33-year-old won the final stage in Rome on Sunday and ended up 14 seconds ahead of Brit Geraint Thomas.
Konrad and Pöstlberger in the peloton
The Austrians Patrick Konrad (Bora) and Lukas Pöstlberger (Jayco) crossed the finish line in the final sprint with the field. Konrad from Lower Austria finished 20th, almost 38 minutes behind, Pöstlberger from Upper Austria was 95th, a good four hours behind.
Closest decision since 1974
The 14-second difference between first and second after 21 days of racing and 3,489 kilometers is the fourth tightest decision in Giro’s 115-year history. The last time things were close was 49 years ago, when Belgian Eddy Merckx beat Italian Gianbattista Baronchelli by twelve seconds in the final count. Only in 1948 was it even closer, when eleven seconds separated the Italians Fiorenzo Magni and Ezio Cecchi.
On the other two Grand Tours, the smallest distances are even smaller. At the 1989 Tour de France, American Greg LeMond won just eight seconds ahead of Frenchman Laurent Fignon, and at the 1984 Vuelta, Frenchman Eric Caritoux beat Spaniard Alberto Fernandez Blanco by just six seconds.