Summertime and the previews look easy. Last year’s Tour de France podium Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel meet up for this yellow jersey dress rehearsal.
It’ll also be easier to follow thanks to regular finish times each day… except Sunday.
With the Giro done, time to look at the UCI scores and the relegation battle as all points from the last week have been added to the official rankings out today.
We don’t need a spreadsheet to see that XDS-Astana look like a World Tour team. Their problem is they did not for the past two seasons and so they’re having to over-compensate. So far it’s working.
Simon Yates attacks Richard Carapaz and Isaac Del Toro for the fourth time on the Colle delle Finestre and this time they can’t follow. He climbs into the virtual lead before the top of the pass. This was the moment the race was won.
A final spin in Rome. Today feels like a footnote after yesterday’s Alpine conclusion but the sprinters have had few chances and several hauled themselves over mountains just for today.
All to ride for. Isaac del Toro may not be the best climber in the race but he’s got a 43 second cushion on Richard Carapaz, as well as the strongest team, plus the hardest climb of the day comes over 25km from the finish. It means Carapaz and others have to make moves or resign themselves to being runners-up.
Today’s stage finishes an hour earlier than usual.
There’s still tomorrow’s stage to win the Giro but those with ambitions – read Richard Carapaz – won’t want to gamble on the last climb of race, better to deliver today and defend tomorrow.
A good day for a breakaway, today’s stage leaves the Alps for a tour of Lombardia of sorts.
The third week and the Giro starts today, not that we should dismiss all the sport of the past two weeks. But this is the first real mountain stage and a summit finish too.
The Giro goes into the Alps… but gently. This should be a day for the breakaway more than the overall contenders.
