A heavy rainstorm ensured that Adriano Malori‘s time held throughout the 9.7km time trial ‘epilogue’ for the Movistarlet to take the final stage of the 2014 Vuelta. The top three rode cautiously, giving us an unchanged final podium of Alberto Contador, Chris Froome and Alejandro Valverde.
Alberto Contador sounded a warning to his GC rivals with a stunning long-range attack which propelled him to overall victory at Tirreno-Adriatico. In winning the race’s two major climbing stages, he displayed the kind of form we haven’t seen since his 2007 and 2009 Tour de France victories. Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali et al: watch out!
The 2012 Giro d’Italia is done and dusted, having covered 3,504km in 21 stages over 23 days across two countries before an epic final week provided us with a dramatic, edge-of-the-seat conclusion and a new champion in Garmin-Barracuda’s Ryder Hesjedal. The 157 finishers can now enjoy a well-earned rest, but in the meantime here is a stage-by-stage reminder of how the race was won and lost.