The first Grand Tour of the year is done and dusted. The fat lady has sung, the podium, GC and jerseys have been awarded. This one’s been a real roller-coaster ride from start to finish. And what a finish! Ten circuits of the heart of Rome’s Centro Storico, neutralised for the GC after three circuits due to the cobbles, corners and crater-like condition of the road. On the final lap, five went clear only to be swamped in the dying kilometres by the sprint trains of Quick-Step and Bora-hansgrohe. With 70m to go, it was Sam Bennett who roared through to take his third stage win, leaving Elia Viviani, himself winner of four stages, in second place. Jempy Drucker rounded out the podium. Ten minutes later, the GC riders rolled over the line, including race winner Chris Froome, first Brit to win the Giro d’Italia and only the third rider (after Hinault and Merckx) to hold all three Grand Tour titles at once. Continue reading →