Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) bested Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) on the finish line of the 101st Giro d’Italia to claim his third stage victory in front of the Coliseum in Rome. The times were neutralized after three laps to ensure a safe race so the sprinters could put on a great show while Chris Froome and the other GC contenders were able to enjoy the great atmosphere of the Eternal City.
Froome became the first Briton to win the Giro d’Italia and the third rider to make the grand slam with three Grand Tours victories in a row. Defending champion Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) and best young rider Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team) rounded out the final podium.
Race winner Chris Froome said: “After we started racing on the circuit, many riders came to me to find a solution to make the race safer. It’s been a fantastic event. It still came down to a bunch sprint with Sam Bennett and Elia [Viviani] fighting, that’s what everyone wanted to see this evening. The atmosphere was fantastic, you could see how much it meant for the fans to have the Giro finishing in Rome. A week ago, I didn’t believe that I’d be here in the Maglia Rosa. To recover more than three minutes, it had been done before but it seemed unlikely. Stage 19 with the Colle delle Finestre was the moment the race turned around for me. This is in my mind what bike racing is about. I’d like to dedicate this victory to my wife and the daughter we’re expecting at the beginning of August.”
Stage winner Sam Bennett said: “Quick-Step made the race hard very early and it was super fast. In the middle of the Giro, I’d say I could win in Roma but when I woke up this morning, I had such bad legs that I didn’t imagine myself winning today. However, with the winner’s mentality, you always want more and I couldn’t let my team-mates down. I kept positioning myself from 2km to go. A few people wanted Viviani’s wheel. It was a super fast finale. I knew Viviani could have a second kick so I sprinted as late as possible. Three stage wins makes me very happy but I’d also like to win a classic and Milano-Sanremo is the only one.”
Cyclamen Jersey for Viviani:
Elia Viviani’s superb consistency was rewarded in Rome, in the shadow of the Coliseum, with the prized cyclamen jersey, which he wore for 19 consecutive days. Second in the final stage in Rome – the seventh top 3 finish of Quick-Step Floors at the first Grand Tour of the season – the Italian concluded more than 50 points clear of his nearest rival in the classification.
“Winning three stages and the ciclamino were my big goals before the start of the race, and arriving in Rome with four victories and the jersey makes for a perfect Giro d’Italia, one which wouldn’t have been possible without my phenomenal teammates”, Viviani said after the finish on the scenic Via dei Fori Imperiali.
“On the flat, they gave me a perfect lead-out, while in the tough mountain stages they stayed by my side and helped me arrive safely at the finish. The past three weeks have been unforgettable, an outstanding experience, and for this I have to thank to everyone, from my teammates and staff and to the amazing fans which cheered for us every single day!”
Stage 21 Brief Results:
- Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) – 115km in 2h50’49”, average speed 40.934km/h
- Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) s.t.
- Jean-Pierre Drucker (BMC Racing Team) s.t.
- Baptiste Planckaert (Team Katusha Alpecin) s.t.
- Manuel Belletti (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec) s.t.
Final General Classification:
- Chris Froome (Team Sky)
- Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) at 46″
- Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team) at 4’57”
- Richard Carapaz (Movistar Team) at 5’44”
- Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain-Merida) at 8’03”
Jerseys:
- Maglia Rosa (pink), general classification leader, sponsored by Enel – Chris Froome (Team Sky)
- Maglia Ciclamino (cyclamen), sprinter classification leader, sponsored by Segafredo – Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors)
- Maglia Azzurra (blue), King of the Mountains classification leader, sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Chris Froome (Team Sky)
- Maglia Bianca (white), young rider general classification leader, sponsored by Eurospin – Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team)
The Numbers:
- Chris Froome is the first Briton to win the Giro. Only one other British rider has made the final podium in the past: Robert Millar in 1987.
- Seven riders are now the winners of three Grand Tours: Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and Chris Froome.
- Before Froome, three riders won three Grand Tours in a row when La Vuelta was contested in April-May, before the Giro: Fausto Coppi (Giro and Tour 1952, Giro 1953 as La Vuelta wasn’t contested in 1953), Eddy Merckx who even made it four in a row (Giro and Tour 1972, Vuelta and Giro 1973) and Bernard Hinault (Giro and Tour 1982, Vuelta 1983).
- For the third time running, a Colombian makes the final podium: Esteban Chaves (2nd in 2016), Nairo Quintana (2nd in 2017) and Miguel Angel Lopez (3rd in 2018).
- For the first time in 20 years (since Marco Pantani in 1998), the Maglia Rosa is also the King of the Mountains.
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