Giacomo Nizzolo entered the Giro d'Italia with the goal of taking a stage win and the Italian has been agonizingly close on several occasions. Today he took his fourth runner-up spot in the race when he was beaten by Luka Mezgec on the final day.
It would have been a perfect ending to an already impressive Giro d’Italia for the Trek Factory Team. But alas, once again, Nizzolo’s victory parade was spoiled as Luka Mezgec (Giant-Shimano) claimed the win leaving Giacomo as runner-up for an amazing fourth time.
“I had to go from left to center because of a maneuver of another rider," he said. "This left room for Mezgec and it was wide open for him to take the victory. No matter, it was a deserved victory for him. I was close so many times, but in the end the legs have to do it…”
The teamwork was impressive in the final kilometers as the pinstripes were unmistakable at the front, helping neutralize all the attacks before leading the frenzied peloton into the last kilometer.
It was a final demonstration from a young team that turned its stripes inside and out, over and over again, in this year’s Giro. Its pre-race goals of top 10 GC with Robert Kiserlovski and a stage win (Julian Arredondo) were checked off, and then topped by Arredondo winning the mountains classification and taking the overall honors of most combative rider.
Nairo Quintanta (Movistar) solidified his overall win, taking home the prestigious maglia rosa. Rigoberto Uran (Omerga Pharma-QuickStep) and Fabio Aru (Astana) rounded out the final podium of a highly entertaining edition of the Giro d'Italia.
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