Well then. The last day of the Giro d’Italia, and it’s more poised than Grace Kelly at a tea party. Or something. Tao Geoghegan Hart, the Londoner with a name that’s not as exotic as it looks, is level at the top of the standings with Jai Hindley but is reckoned to be a better time triallist. Both have completed the first 20 stages in an official time of 85 hours, 22 minutes and seven seconds. So who will end up as champion? Time will tell, what little of it is taken by the 15.7km route into Milan, ending at the Piazza del Duomo.
Firstly, then, welcome! Secondly, here’s some information that may come in useful, starting with the route profile:
Here’s the top 10 in the general classification as it stood this morning:
1. Jai Hindley (Aus) Sunweb 85” 22’ 07s
2. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB) Ineos Grenadiers =
3. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Sunweb +1m32s
4. Bilbao Pello (Es) Bahrain-McLaren +2m51s
5. Joao Almeida (Por) Deceuninck–Quick-Step +3m14s
6. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana +6m 32s
7. Vincenzo Nibali (It) Trek-Segafredo +7m46s
8. Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe +8m05s
9. Fausto Masnada (It) Deceuninck–Quick-Step +9m24s
10. Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain McLaren +10m08s
The first rider got going at 1.40pm (12.40pm GMT), but it’ll take a while to get to the leaders. Here then are the start times for those last 10 riders (in local time, so subtract one for BMT):
3.45pm Hermann Pernsteiner
3.48pm Fausto Masnada
3.51pm Patrick Konrad
3.54pm Vincenzo Nibali
3.57pm Jakob Fuglsang
4.00pm Joao Almeida
4.03pm Pello Bilbao
4.06pm Wilco Kelderman
4.09pm Tao Geoghegan Hart
4.12pm Jai Hindley
And here’s William Fotheringham’s report on yesterday’s action, which also tees up today’s:
Tao Geoghegan Hart is on the threshold of Giro d’Italia victory going into Sunday’s time trial stage into Milan. After winning Saturday’s mountain stage at the Sestriere ski resort, the 25-year-old, London-born Scot is level on time with the new race leader, Jai Hindley of Australia, an unprecedentedly tight and tense situation after more than 85 hours of racing.
No Grand Tour has been this close going into the final day, but Geoghegan Hart is a stronger time triallist; a single second’s advantage would suffice, meaning that he will be expected to give Great Britain its second Giro d’Italia win in three years after Chris Froome’s last-ditch victory in 2018.
For a rider who had expected to support either Richard Carapaz or Geraint Thomas in an attempt for overall victory, it is an astonishing twist of fortune.
Much more here: