Egan Bernal seals Giro d'Italia victory
Ineos Grenadiers' Bernal, 24, adds victory in the three-week Grand Tour to his 2019 Tour de France win. Team Bike Exchange rider Yates claimed his second-best result in a Grand Tour after winning the Vuelta an Espana in 2018."When I arrived and realised I won, I can't describe what I'm feeling inside me," said Bernal."I was focusing and thinking I cannot make a mistake. I don't want to lose the Giro in one corner."British team Ineos have now triumphed in 12 Grand Tours since their inaugural season as Sky Procycling in 2010 - defending Tao Geoghegan Hart's win at the Giro in Milan last October.
Team boss Sir Dave Brailsford said: "I'm thrilled. Especially with the way Egan was aggressive at the start and with that critical stage in Tuscany when Ganna drove on in the gravel."And then how he used his team - staying calm and measuring resources...they did that beautifully."As expected, Yates could not overhaul a time deficit of three minutes 23 seconds on the final day's 30km time trial into Milan. His best chance came the previous day during a punishing 166km stage in the Alps. Still, the 28-year-old instead lost time to Bernal, who dug deep and was assisted up the mountain by a blistering pace set by fellow Colombian rider Daniel Martinez.
Second place in the general classification went to Italy's Damiano Caruso of Bahrain-Victorious, who produced the race of his life to finish on the podium, much to the delight of the Italian fans. Britain's Hugh Carthy of EF Education-Nippo finished eighth overall after racing well with Bernal and the other contenders across the three weeks. Ineos' Filippo Ganna won the final stage of the race.
It was a dramatic stage in glorious sunshine, as current world time trial champion Ganna had to swap bikes with two kilometres to go after suffering a puncture. The 24-year-old still recorded the fastest time but was expected to lose it to Remi Cavagna of Deceuninck-Quick-Step, before the Frenchman misjudged a sharp corner near Duomo di Milano the stage and flipped over his handlebars into the crowd. Italian Ganna, therefore, bookends the race with victory after winning the opening stage time trial in Turin.
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