Jai Hindley, representing Bora-Hansgrohe, clinched victory at the Giro d’Italia 2022. He fiercely defended his lead in the time trial around the streets of Verona, exuding unmatched skill and stamina. Hindley, a renowned Australian athlete, had the maglia rosa in his possession as he distanced Richard Carapaz of Ineos Grenadiers and Mikel Landa of Bahrain-Victorious on the Passo Fedaia’s gruelling uphill stretch.
This audacious move from Hindley, around three kilometers from the finish line, saw him finishing more than a minute ahead of his fiercest rivals. This gave him a sixth-place finish in the stage, but more importantly marked his first victory in the Giro and his country’s second Grand Tour victory. This win also serves as a redemption narrative for Hindley, replacing the memory of his narrow second-place finish in 2020. To top it off, this also marks Bora’s first Grand Tour win.
Who Else Triumphed in the Giro d’Italia?
The Giro d’Italia was also a victory parade for numerous other athletes. Juan Pedro López emerged as the white jersey winner after finishing 16th on the stage. Despite intense competition from Santiago Buitrago of Bahrain-Victorious, Lopez managed to extend his lead on Saturday and finished comfortably over five minutes ahead.
In the king of the mountains competition, Koen Bouwman’s (Jumbo-Visma) lead remained unbeatable from stage 19. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) finished second, while stage 20 winner Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates) secured the third spot.
The coveted maglia ciclamino was won by Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), courtesy of his points haul from three stage wins. The team competition remained a thrilling contest till the end, with Bahrain-Victorious emerging victorious over Bora-Hansgrohe by a mere four minutes and seven seconds. Ineos Grenadiers finished third, despite being well over an hour behind.
What Do These Jerseys Represent?
In bike racing, different jerseys signify different accomplishments. The maglia rosa, or pink jersey, is donned by the rider with the fastest cumulative time throughout the race. With each stage, this jersey can change hands if the current leader loses time. There is also the blue, or maglia azzurra, the mountains jersey, which is decided by who accumulates the most points over categorized hill climbs. It spurs on riders to get into breakaways and try to take as many points as possible.
Next up is the purple or ciclamino jersey, which represents the points classification and is awarded to the rider who collects the most points over the race. Lastly, we have the white jersey, which echoes the pink jersey but is restricted to riders under 25, marking the best young competitor.
The stories spun in the Giro d’Italia are not just about individual glory but team triumphs too. The team classification is decided by the combined timings of the three best-placed riders from each team.
As the dust of competition settles on the streets of Verona, athletes and spectators alike look forward to the next edition of the Giro. For now, the participants can take a well-deserved rest and bask in the glory of their hard-earned victories.
GIRO D’ITALIA 2022 STAGE 21 RESULTS
1. Matteo Sobrero (Ita) Team BikeExchange-Jayco, in 22-24
2. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM, at 23s
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix, at 40s
4. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo, at 1-08
5. Ben Tulett (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-12
6. Mauro Schmid (Sui) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, at 1-17
7. Magnus Cort (Den) EF Education-EasyPost, at 1-18
8. Tobias Foss (Nor) Jumbo-Visma, at 1-19
9. Michael Hepburn (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco, at 1-24
10. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers, in same time
GIRO D’ITALIA GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 21
1. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe, in 86-31-14
2.Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-18
3. Mikel Landa (Esp) Bahrain-Victorious, at 3-24
4. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team, at 9-02
5. Pello Bilbao (Esp) Bahrain-Victorious, at 9-14
6. Jan Hirt (Cze) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, at 9-28
7. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe, at 13-19
8. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, at 17-29
9. Hugh Carthy (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost, at 17-54
10. Juan Pedro López (Spa) Trek-Segafredo, at 18-40
GIRO D’ITALIA POINTS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 21
1. Arnaud Démare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, on 254 pts
2. Fernando Gaviria (Col) UAE Team Emirates, on 136pts
3. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, on 132pts
GIRO D’ITALIA MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 21
1. Koen Bouwman (Ned) Jumbo-Visma, on 294pts
2. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo, on 163pts
3. Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates, on 102 pts
GIRO D’ITALIA YOUNG RIDER CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 21
1. Juan Pedro López (Esp) Trek-Segafredo, in 86-49-54
2. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5-43
3. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) Ineos Grenadiers, at 23-03
GIRO D’ITALIA TEAM CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 21
1. Bahrain-Victorious, in 259-48-12
2. Bora-Hansgrohe, at 4-07
3. Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-22-29
