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Confetti for the winner: Tao Geoghegan Hart celebrates his triumph on the Tour of Italy
Photo:
STRINGER / REUTERS
British cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart surprisingly won the Giro d'Italia.
The 25-year-old Ineos professional achieved the greatest success of his career so far in the final time trial in Milan, 13th place.
Geoghegan Hart distanced the Australian Jai Hindley (Sunweb) over the 15.7 kilometers by 39 seconds and thus secured the pink jersey of the overall winner after 21 stages over more than 3300 kilometers.
The two underdogs Geoghegan Hart and Hindley had entered the final at the same time after reaching the mountain in Sestriere.
"Well grown into this role"
"I never even thought in my dreams that that could happen. In my career I have always dreamed of the top five or top ten in races like this," said the London-born professional, who actually comes from track cycling.
Team boss Dave Brailsford praised Eurosport: "He has grown into this role well."
Neither Geoghegan Hart nor Hindley had previously finished in the top 15 on any of the three major country tours, and the placements at the Giro are their greatest career successes to date.
Geraint Thomas (Ineos), Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) and Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma), who originally started as favorites, were eliminated early, Yates and Kruiswijk due to positive Corona tests.
Their teams had also withdrawn prematurely.
Time trial specialist Filippo Ganna, who also drives for the British Ineos Grenadiers team, secured the last day's victory on the Tour of Italy.
The Italian has won all three time trials and another part of the Giro.
Victor Campenaerts from Belgium and the Australian Rohan Dennis landed in second and third place.
Third place overall was defended by Wilco Kelderman from the Netherlands.
He had led the classification up to the penultimate stage.
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hba / dpa / sid