In Verona, riders completed the final 17.4 kilometres of the Giro on flat ground before tackling a 4.5-kilometer, 5-percent-steep climb.
After that, they descended quickly and technically-challengingly to the finish in front of Verona’s ancient amphitheatre.
Giro d Italia Stage 21 Highlights
The day’s winner was M. Sobrero, but Jai Hindley, who won the pink jersey in dramatic fashion the day before, finished in second place, 1 minute and 25 seconds behind the winner.
Jai made history by becoming the first Australian to win the Giro with this performance.
Jai Hindley Wins Giro d’Italia, Second Australian to Win Cycling Grand Tour
On Sunday, Jai Hindley became the first Australian rider to win Italy’s Grand Tour by clinching the overall victory in the Giro d’Italia.
Following the final individual time trial, which ended next to Verona’s Arena, a Roman amphitheatre.
Hindley came in 1 minute, 18 seconds ahead of 2019 champion Richard Carapaz.
This victory meant even more to Hindley because he wore the pink jersey into the final stage of the 2020 Giro, only to lose it to Tao Geoghegan Hart.
When asked about how he felt, Hindley said that coming in second place stayed with him for a long time.
“I had in the back of my mind what happened in 2020, and I wasn’t going to let that happen again,” Hindley said.
Although Carapaz won the time trial by seven seconds over Hindley, Hindley started the final day with a 1:25 lead.
Van der Poel Earns First Leader’s Jersey as Giro d’Italia Begins in Hungary
The opening 195-kilometer stage was predicted to end with an uphill sprint finish at the hilltop citadel in Visegrad, and the Dutch rider was pegged as the favourite.
In the first of three stages in Hungary, Belgian Lawrence Naesen and German Lennard Kämna both attempted solo attacks in the final kilometres.
Before the final kilometer’s chaos, the sprint teams were able to finish off their respective moves.
After making light contact with Biniam Girmay of Eritrea, Australian Caleb Ewan crashed out of the race.
As Van der Poel of Alpecin-Fenix crossed the finish line first in 4 hours, 35 minutes, and 28 seconds, Girmay stayed on his feet but was ultimately defeated.
Conclusion
Time bonuses earned by Van der Poel on the stage gave him a four-second advantage over Girmay going into the next stage.
Wilco Kelderman and Bauke Mollema of the Netherlands, as well as 2019 champion Richard Carapaz of Ecuador.
All finished in the top seven of the stage and gained four seconds on their competitors. Thanks for reading our article Giro d Italia Stage 21 Highlights.
