Giro 2018 Stage 20: Nieve’s birthday win; Froome unstoppable

The final mountain stage, the final summit finish – and once again the GC was shaken. This time, it was Thibaut Pinot who bonked something fierce and lost nearly an hour. A sad farewell to a podium place for a rider who helped animate this year’s Giro. Tom Dumoulin did his best to attack Chris Froome in the final 10km but couldn’t get a gap to take back those 40sec. Froome only needs to get over the finish line safely tomorrow to win his first Giro d’Italia. But the good news story of the day was a birthday solo stage win for Mitchelton Scott’s Mikel Nieve.

Riders of the Race

Flying in the face of the opinion of Lance Armstrong* (and who wouldn’t?), I’m going to give my Rider of the Race to Thibaut Pinot’s teammates, who stuck with him as he blew up on the climb and saw his podium place disappear. Weaving all over the road, retching every time he tried to get some sustenance down him, his teammates stayed with him. Chapeau #ClassActs

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‪aucun de tes équipiers, ne regrette les sacrifices, les efforts fournis pour essayer d’atteindre notre objectif. Pour le même résultat nous aurions signé pour t’accompagner. Notre aventure humaine vaut bien plus qu’un podium… ça reste du sport! @thibaut.pinot @jeremiiroy @steve_morabito @preidi @sebastien_reichenbach @matthieuladagnousofficiel @anthonyroux18

A post shared by William Bonnet (@bonnet_w) on May 26, 2018 at 6:48am PDT

Translation: none of your teammates, do not regret the sacrifices, the efforts made to try to reach our goal. For the same result we would have signed to accompany you. Our human adventure is worth more than a podium … it’s still sport!

Quite a bonky Giro this year, what with Chaves, Yates and Pinot.

— Edward Pickering (@EdwardPickering) May 26, 2018

Unnecessary sprinting

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With just 200m to go, Chris Froome and Wout Poels sprinted to the finish line in a display of the most ungracious behaviour towards the defending champion who just left everything on the road. #Unclass Just an FYI, Tom Dumoulin looks like someone who never forgets … and who plots some seriously hard cold revenge.

"pas très fair-play" says Guimard of Froome/Poels attacking Dumoulin in final 200m

— Peter Cossins (@petercossins) May 26, 2018

I've been trying hard to be fair to Froome, but then he did this & and afterwards claims he was worried about the KoM jersey. Like you said before, watching cycling is all about feelings & that gesture just makes you think – Really? That's unclassy🤨

— Joanna Cooksey (@MsFennyBentley) May 26, 2018

#Giro101 – Froome going to Dumoulin searching for and handshake. Dumoulin not giving him a single look.

— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) May 26, 2018

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Dumoulin comes out of this with a huge amount of respect. Last year wasn't a one off #giro101 #giroditalia2018

— Karl Roche (@ragtag) May 26, 2018

Carrots not down!

If you’re going to give yourself a birthday present, why not a stage win? A lot better than a gift card from Marks & Sparks!

Mikel Nieve took the third stage win of his career in Giro d'Italia. The first one was very special in 2011. The brutal mountain stage was designed by Angelo Zomegnan. Almost 7,000 vertical ascent meters. Nieve was more than tired af the finish. #Giro101 pic.twitter.com/PCzXCYCjdh

— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) May 26, 2018

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This is Mitchelton's 5th (!!!) win in the 2018 Giro and I'm usually not a fan of this kind of team performance. But I can make an exception for Mikel Nieve, one of the world's classiest gregari/climbers. And it's his birthday. Zorionak @NieveMikel ! 👏 #Giro101

— Mihai Cazacu (@faustocoppi60) May 26, 2018

I want I want I want

And purely because it’s Carlos looks like a pop idol pin-up from my tweenie years when I read Tiger Beat and 16 magazine. Ah, those heady days of youth.