Tao Geoghegan Hart wins Giro d'Italia on final stage
Geoghegan Hart finishes final stage time trial in 18 minutes and 14 seconds, 39 seconds ahead of second-placed Jai Hindley; Geoghegan Hart becomes second British man to win Giro d'Italia after Chris Froome
Last Updated: 25/10/20 4:43pm
Tao Geoghegan Hart has won the Giro d'Italia, becoming only the second British man to win the Grand Tour.
Ineos Grenadiers rider Hart beat Sunweb rider Australian Jai Hindley in a straight time trial shootout on Sunday with both sharing the overall lead going into the final stage.
The 25-year-old Londoner beat Hindley by 39 seconds in the 15.7km closing time trial in Milan to become only the fifth Briton to win a Grand Tour
Geoghegan Hart was ahead of Hindley at every time check along the way, clocking a time of 18 minutes 19.40 seconds to deliver a remarkable win.
"It's bizarre, to be honest," said Geoghegan Hart. "Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine that this would be possible when we started nearly a month ago in Sicily.
"All of my career I've dreamt of trying to be in the top five, top 10 maybe in a race of this stature so this is something completely and utterly different. I think this is going to take a long time to sink in."
His Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Filippo Ganna took the stage win with a time of 17 minutes 16.55 seconds, 32 seconds faster than second-placed Victor Campernaerts, to deliver his fourth stage win of the race and a seventh for the team.
Geoghegan Hart follows Sir Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Simon Yates in winning one of the big three stage races on the calendar, delivering Britain's 11th Grand Tour victory since Wiggins won the Tour de France in 2012, and second in the Giro after Froome in 2018.
Geoghegan Hart started the Giro planning to support Thomas before the Welshman's race-ending crash on stage three.
An outstanding final week in the mountains propelled Geoghegan Hart up the standings, with his victory on Saturday's stage 20 setting up the unprecedented scenario of the top two in a Grand Tour being level on time at the start of the final day.
