104th edition of 'Corsa Rosa' comes to its end

Telefónica-backed squad sought to bounce back until very last day, looking for an elusive stage win, following the loss of their designated GC contender.

Egan Bernal (IGD) became on Sunday the second ever Colombian to win the Giro d’Italia as he covered without any incidents the last 30km of the Senago – Milano ITT, won by his team-mate Filippo Ganna.

Damiano Caruso (TBV, 2nd) and Simon Yates (BEX, 3rd) joined Bernal on the final podium of a race where the Movistar Team, greatly affected by the abandon of their main GC reference on stage 12, had to tackle the race – just like in 2020 – with an aim at shining in the breakaways, unable, though, to obtain a stage win from those.

The enormous quality and commitment from Antonio Pedrero in the big mountain stages -shone at the Passo Giau (Cima Coppi); finished 8th in Sega di Ala and 10th atop Alpe Motta on Saturday- was the best show of consistency, in the last nine days of racing, from the Telefónica-backed squad as they were still able to get to Milano with seven of its eight riders (before this Giro, no DNFs had been registered for the Blues at a Grand Tour since 2018).

The debut of Matteo Jorgenson, sick in the first week and still able to bounce back and become a factor in the final days of the race; the experience and continuous attempts from Oliveira, Cataldo and Villella; and the second experience in the race for Einer Rubio -who had less chances to do well in the mountains than in 2020- and Albert Torres -ready for his Tokyo challenge- completed the Sciandri / García Acosta-led squad’s efforts in the Abarca Sports organisation’s 26th Giro appearance.

Cover picture (c): BettiniPhoto