All the latest reaction to Geoghegan Hart’s victory:
Read Will Fotheringham's report
And with that, I’ll be off. Bye!
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Tao Geoghegan Hart.
If you haven’t already read William Fotheringham’s piece on the man who became our champion, now’s your chance:
Jai Hindley: "At the moment it’s pretty hard to take"
Jai Hindley, who started the day in pink and ended it in second place, has a chat:
Of course it’s super-disappointing to lose a race on the last day like that. At the moment it’s pretty hard to take but I think when I look back I’ll be super proud of the team and how I rode. It’s a massive step forward in my career and it’s three week’s I’ll never forget. I think as a team, actually we didn’t put a foot wrong all race to be honest. We can be super proud of what we accomplished. I’d just like to thank the guys on the team, the whole team, everyone involved. It’s a massive operation to get here and to be on the podium in Milan. A lot of effort and time has gone into it and I really appreciate what the team has done to get me here. Tonight? I think I’ll put the feet up for a bit, maybe sink a few cheeky bevvies.
All of today’s key numbers:
Stage 21
1. Filippo Ganna (IT) Ineos Grenadiers 17:16
2. Victor Campenaerts (BEL) NTT Pro Cycling Team +32
3. Rohan Dennis (AUS) Ineos Grenadiers “
4. João Almeida (POR) Deceuninck - Quick-Step +41 5
Miles Scotson (AUS) Groupama - FDJ “
6. Josef Cerný (CZE) CCC Team +44
7. Chad Haga (USA) Team Sunweb “
8. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates +46
9. Kamil Gradek (POL) CCC Team +47
10. Jan Tratnik (SLO) Bahrain - McLaren “
11. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb +55
12. Martijn Tusveld (NED) Team Sunweb +58
13. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers “
14. Thomas De Gendt (BEL) Lotto - Soudal +1:03
15. Maciej Bodnar (POL) BORA - hansgrohe +1:04
Overall leaders
1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB) Ineos Grenadiers 85:40:21
2. Jai Hindley (AUS) Team Sunweb +39
3. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb +1:29
4. João Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-Quick-Step +2:57
5. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-McLaren +3:09
6. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) Astana Pro Team +7:02
7. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) Trek - Segafredo +8:15
8. Patrick Konrad (AUT) BORA - hansgrohe +8:42
9. Fausto Masnada (ITA) Deceuninck - Quick-Step +9:57
10. Hermann Pernsteiner (AUT) Bahrain - McLaren +11:05
11. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA) NTT Pro Cycling Team +11:52
12. Rafal Majka (POL) BORA - hansgrohe +20:31
13. Sergio Samitier (ESP) Movistar Team +35:29
14. James Knox (GBR) Deceuninck - Quick-Step +37:41
15. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates +38:10
16. Aurélien Paret-Peintre AG2R La Mondiale +45:04 (FRA)
17. Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R La Mondiale +53:25
18. Ben Swift (GBR) INEOS Grenadiers +57:36
19. Antonio Pedrero (ESP) Movistar Team +59:36
20. Ben O’Connor (AUS) NTT Pro Cycling Team +1:02:57
King of the Mountains
1. Ruben Guerreiro (POR) EF Pro Cycling 234
2. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR) INEOS Grenadiers 157
3. Thomas De Gendt (BEL) Lotto - Soudal 122
4. Rohan Dennis (AUS) INEOS Grenadiers 119
5. Ben O’Connor (AUS) NTT Pro Cycling Team 71
6. Jai Hindley (AUS) Team Sunweb “
7. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb 55
8. Filippo Ganna (ITA) INEOS Grenadiers 48
9. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP) INEOS Grenadiers 45
10. Einer Rubio (COL) Movistar Team 44
Points leaders
1. Arnaud Démare (FRA) Groupama - FDJ 233
2. Peter Sagan (SVK) BORA - hansgrohe 184
3. João Almeida (POR) Deceuninck - Quick-Step 108
4. Filippo Ganna (ITA) INEOS Grenadiers 87
5. Josef Cerný (CZE) CCC Team 78
6. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) AG2R La Mondiale “
7. Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates 77
8. Simon Pellaud (SUI) Androni Giocattoli - 70 Sidermec
9. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR) INEOS Grenadiers 66
10. Patrick Konrad (AUT) BORA - hansgrohe 61 11.
Here are the final standings in the overall classification:
🇮🇹 #Giro @PatricKonrad finishes the Giro on the 8th position in the general classification.@maciejbodnar is the best #BORAhansgrohe rider in the final ITT on position 15.#BandOfBrothers pic.twitter.com/qr5h6yrJ7E
— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) October 25, 2020
One thing has gone flat today: the Prosecco that is being given to the winners. Two bottles have so far been presented, and neither really did any spraying at all despite some enthusiastic shaking.
'It's the stuff of comic books really' - Dave Brailsford
Dave Brailsford has a chat about his team’s latest success:
When we started out Geraint was the leader. What happened here was Filippo [Ganna] set the scene. Coming here with a rainbow band, first day, got the TT sorted, got the pink jersey. Then a massive disappointment with Geraint going home. Then when Filippo won that road stage in the hills, everyone was like, ‘Wow, that is incredible.’ It inspired everybody. It opened the race up. Everybody race the stages, give everybody an opportunity, and I think Tao liked that.
He grew into the role. There was no pressure on him, it was an adventure every day, but there was a moment, to be fair to him, when he switched from being ‘Maybe.’ You could see a switch going off in his head and he said, ‘I can do this.’
The story I like about Tao is the fact he bunked off school to come and ride behind the other guys. It was his dream to be a pro bike rider, coming into the team, and he’s gone and won a Grand Tour. It’s the stuff of comic books really.
What I like about it is, we’ve done the training, we’ve done the defensive style of riding, and we’ve won a lot doing that, but it’s not much fun, really, compared to this, is it? What the guys have done here, all the team here has raced, and at the end of the day it’s all about racing. We’re the Grenadiers now. A lot of people have contributed to this victory. I can’t think about this without thinking about Nico [Portal]. Everybody in this team has supported him along the way and they deserve a lot of credit for that.
Here’s a report on today’s action:
Our champion gives his first interview, and is asked how he feels to have won this thing:
Bizarre, to be honest. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine that this would be possible when we started almost a month ago in Sicily. I think all of my career I’ve dreamt of trying to be top five or top 10 maybe in a race of this stature. This is someting completely different to that and I think ti’s going to take a long time to sink in.
My DS told me I was 10 seconds up, and then he kept giving me a few seconds. I only knew we must be in a pretty good situation when he was screaming at me not to take any risks in the last kilometre. It’s not often your DS tells you to slow down that much in a 15km TT, but I also knew the work was done up to that point.
Is this the start of a long and great career?
I don’t know and I don’t really care. I’m just going to enjoy this. it’s incredible, really incredible. I’m going to stay the same person, I’m going to stay as professional as I believe I always have been. Dedicated. Wake up every day looking forward to riding my bike, loving my life and being grateful for the amazing position, the privilege, that I’m in to be in this team and at these races.
Dreams come true!
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) October 25, 2020
Introducing a new British Grand Tour winner.
Tao Geoghegan Hart wins the #Giro d’Italia! pic.twitter.com/lekA9X8ACy
Everyone’s always nice about people who have just won stuff, but there is such genuine warmth being expressed for Tao Geoghegan Hart both by people at the race and others at home.
He’s done it!!! Winner of the Giro d’Italia!!
— Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form (@StokeySchool) October 25, 2020
What an inspiration to every young person in Hackney! Former SNS student @taogeoghegan has won one of the biggest races in professional cycling.
Well done, Tao! We’re so proud and happy for you, Bede and the rest of the fam 🙌 https://t.co/Q3Jf9z3iwI
"From the Hackney Marshes to the Italian Alps, and now the streets of Milan... @taogeoghegan is going to win Giro D'Italia!"
— Team GB (@TeamGB) October 25, 2020
Unforgettable!pic.twitter.com/uTOI49VtbA
“Shades of Lemond and Fignon here,” writes Guy Hornsby. “I feel for Jai Hindley, who’s been incredible all race, but Tao has been relentless this last week. A Tour won by a wafer-thin margin, but they don’t call it the Race of Truth for nothing when the clock is on. What a story.”
Filippo Ganna wins the final stage!
Let’s not forget about Filippo Ganna, who has completed a clean sweep of the time trials on this year’s Giro by an astonishing 32sec margin. He and Tao Geoghegan Hart pose for photographs in front of the duomo, quite the one-two for Ineos Grenadiers.
Cycling🚴♂️ - @taogeoghegan🇬🇧 is the 7th rider to win a Grand Tour, after only having led the GC after the final stage (excluding awarded wins). #Giro #Giro103 pic.twitter.com/MhS6A8xSo7
— Gracenote Olympic (@GracenoteGold) October 25, 2020
Tao Geoghegan Hart wins the 2020 Giro d'Italia!
Jai Hindley’s race is over, and he has finished second! His has been a phenomenal race, but not quite enough for glory. What a moment for Tao Geoghegan Hart, Grand Tour champion!
📢 @JaiHindley 18'53"11!#Giro
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2020
Updated
Tao Geoghegan Hart takes the virtual race lead!
Tao Geoghegan Hart crosses the finish line in 18min 14sec, the 13th best time of the day, but he will surely now win the 2020 Giro d’Italia!
.@taogeoghegan is the virtual Maglia Rosa!
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2020
.@taogeoghegan è Maglia Rosa virtuale!#Giro
Up to 24sec now, with Geoghegan Hart just 1.5km from the finish line. Neither of the overall top two are threatening to win the stage, but the Londoner is doing exactly what was required of him today.
Into the last 3km for Tao Geoghegan Hart, and his overall lead is still expanding. Up to about 20sec now.
Geoghegan Hart has a 17sec lead now, with just 4km to go, very nearly a conclusive lead.
Hindley crosses the line at the 10.3km mark, and he’s well down on our leader, Filippo Ganna, who is not going to be shifted off that bar stool any time soon.
Tao Geoghegan Hart is 10sec ahead! With 6.3km to go, he seems to be on his way here!
Joao Almeida crosses the line in 17min 57sec, enough for fourth place (for now) on the day, and I think in overall classification as well.
We won’t really know who is in the box seat here until both riders have passed the 10.3km marker. Tao Geoghegan Hart is about 1km away from it as I type.
And so, to the race leader (just). Jai Hindley, clad almost entirely in rosa, never mind the maglia, is the last on the road!
Tao Geoghegan Hart is on his bike and on the road! We are 20 minutes away from the end of this year’s Giro. What’s it to be?
🤜🏻🤛🏻
— Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) October 25, 2020
Some great sportsmanship between @JaiHindley and Geoghegan Hart before they settle the #Giro🇮🇹 title out on the road.👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/0GDlBCnOWT
Wilco Kelderman, Friday’s maglia rosa holder, is on his way. Just two to go now!
Nobody for some time has made any dent in the top three either at the 10.3km marker (Ganna, Haga and Campenaerts the top three there) or at the finish (Ganna, Campenaerts and Dennis).
When riders launch themselves down the ramp organisers are playing some genuinely godawful Europop, which I suppose is one way of encouraging them to go as fast as they can.
“I‘m sure its more comfortable that the saddle on his bike!” says Andrew Benton of Ganna’s bar stool, and this I’m sure is true. “Best saddle for me was the one on my Raleigh roadster sit-up-and-beg bike, wide and comfy and with a big curly spring at the front to ensure it soaked up the bumps.”
Vincenzo Nibali is on his way, along with Jakob Fuglsang and Joao Almeida. There are only four riders still waiting. The crunch is coming.
“Though an urban contre la montre is hardly likely to win over new fans, this Giro has been spectacular,” says Gary Naylor. “The riders may not be the very best, but competition has been fierce and fair. And Italy? Just wow.” There’s been great drama and great scenery, to be sure. Perhaps a bit more to come (drama, at least).
I’m not sure I’ve seen this bettered. Filippo Ganna certainly deserves better than a bar stool.
They really could have given the leader a more comfortable place to sit.
👋 @GannaFilippo - @INEOSGrenadiers #Giro pic.twitter.com/zCd4R5oLSS
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2020
Into the top 10 we go! Fausto Masnada of Deceuninck-Quick Step is the
first
second (sorry, counting error) of them on this bike, a man whose name it is impossible to read, think or say without having to fight the urge to insert a Que in the middle.
Updated
Domenico Pozzovivo, the 37-year-old Italian, has just got under way. He’s 11th in the overall standings, so we now move from one to three minutes between riders as we head into the top 10.
Rohan Dennis crosses the line in 17min 48sec, 32sec slower than the leader but good enough, for now, for third.
If Ganna wins this stage, it would be the seventh stage win for Ineos Grenadiers on this year’s Giro. They have never previously won more than six on any Grand Tour. They also have a very good chance to win the whole thing in the shape of Tao Geoghegan Hart, which would make this a very good day indeed for them. We should know precisely how the chips have fallen within the hour.
Rohan Dennis, the Australian who came second in the time trial on stage 14, is on his way, and has just been timed 20 seconds behind Ganna at the split.
Ganna also won the individual time trial on the first stage of the Giro, and the individual time trial that formed Stage 14, and the individual time trial title at the world championships last month. To say he has been dominant in this particular discipline of late would be to understate what’s been going on. He also won stage five on this year’s Giro, a hilly 225km, just to prove he’s not a one-trick pony.
Filippo Ganna takes the lead!
Filippo Ganna crosses the line in a time faster than anyone else to have tried the course by a margin of over half a minute! He was clocked at 17min 16sec, 32sec faster than Campenaerts.
Updated
It is very cloudy in Lombardy this afternoon, and the downside of having a finish line outside the cathedral is that most of the stage is spent on a variety of unexciting A-roads on the approach to central Milan. There is, in short, a lot of grey about.
Filippo Gana mashes the rest at the split! His time after 10.3km is 20sec faster than Haga’s, and Campenaerts’ spell in the leader’s seat is surely about to end.
We get an official time at 10.3km, to judge how well a rider’s doing while they’re still a while from the finish line. Chad Haga was the fastest so far over 10km, crossing that line a second before Campanaerts, but by the end he was 12 seconds behind and sits fourth.
Victor Campanaerts is the clubhouse leader, but Filippo Ganna is on his way and will have him in his sights. Ganna is not only Italian but local, raised on the shores of Lake Maggiore, and you can tell people are excited about him because he is being followed by two motorbikes, three cars and a helicopter.
Hello world!
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:
Updated
