The three-time winner of the Tour of Spain, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), was crowned champion of the 106th edition of the Giro d’Italia after storming the lead of the Corsa Rosa in the time trial the previous day and passing the final day without complications in Rome.
The Slovenian rider, who seized the leader’s pink jersey in the penultimate stage, passed the final section without complications to finish on the top of the podium in the Italian round. The positions of honor were completed by the British Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and the Portuguese João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates).
The last stage of the Italian round that took place around Rome with a distance of 126 kilometres, was in the hands of Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan), ahead of the Luxembourg Alex Kirsch (Trek-Segafredo) and the Italian Filippo Fiorelli. (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè). Meanwhile, Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) had to settle for seventh place.
Primoz Roglic, who succeeded Australian Jai Hindley in the Corsa Rosa honors, achieved his second victory in one of the Grand Tours after winning the Tour of Spain three times.
A bland Giro with too many boring stages
The Giro d’Italia 2023 has been marked by controversy. The organization of the event, which has been repeating the same formula year after year, has gotten used to concentrating all the hardness of the race in a few and final stages, including in 2023 the toughest time trial ever held in a grand round.
This leads to the main candidates reserving their strength to undertake these hard stages and, therefore, to very boring stages in which nothing happens beyond multiple breakaways and excessive sprints without any offensive for the general classification. by the great favourites.
In addition to an organization that should already be considering a development change for the race, the 2023 Giro d’Italia has been marked by bad weather, COVID-19 and the multiple abandonments of cyclists for having tested positive, the odd controversial cut and, above all, for the passage of too many boring stages of those that leave you sleeping on the sofa.
Criticism aside, the time trial of the penultimate stage held on Monte Lussari will go down in history as one of the most exciting ever experienced in the Italian Grand Tour. The best version of Primoz Roglic was done with this decisive stage, snatching the leader’s pink jersey from the British Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers, who finally had to settle for second position.
Giro d’Italia 2023 (2.UWT)
Results stage 21 | Rome – Rome (126 km)
1 Mark Cavendish Astana Qazaqstan Team 2:48:26
2 Alex Kirsch Trek – Segafredo ,,
3 Filippo Fiorelli Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè ,,
4 Alberto Dainese Team DSM ,,
5 Alexander Krieger Alpecin-Deceuninck,,
6 Jake Stewart Groupama – FDJ ,,
7 Fernando Gaviria Movistar Team ,,
8 Michael Matthews Team Jayco AlUla ,,