Robert Millar’s race analysis from the final week of the Giro d'Italia
From Val Martello to Trieste
Stage 16 to Val Martello
Stage 18 to Rifugio Panarotta
At last Julian Arredondo got his tactics right. Often in the break and then launching his attack much too early he did the opposite and played, as Sean Kelly says, the waiting game. For someone riding his first Grand Tour he has learned very quickly, letting Duarte, Deignan and De Gendt beat each other up and then with 4km to go the blue jersey wearer left them all behind for a well deserved win.
Stage 19 to Cima Grappa
Any doubts about who was the strongest rider were dismissed when the Maglia Rosa blasted up the Cima Grappa to take the stage win and another minute and a half from Rigoberto Uran. The big surprise was Fabio Aru who produced a fantastic ride and moved into the final podium position with Pierre Rolland beating Pozzovivo and a resurgent Franco Pellizotti making the top six of the stage. Majka lost over three and a half minutes but comparatively he trounced Evans, Kelderman, Kiserlovski and a tiring Hesjedal.
Stage 20 to Monte Zoncolan
This was always going to be the perfect stage for an escape with the GC locked down but then saying that only the strong would survive. From a 20 man break Mick Rogers proved his win at Savona was no fluke by grinding up Monte Zoncolan for a hard earned victory.
Stage 21 to Trieste
Giant-Shimano top and tail their Giro with Luka Mezgec doing what Marcel Kittel did way back in Ireland by winning a hectic bunch sprint. Even some bumping and barging from his contemporaries inside the last kilometer couldn't stop the Slovenian producing an impressive acceleration along the barriers to beat Nizzolo and Tyler Farrar by a bike length. Pre-stage favourite Nacer Bouhanni might have hoped for another win but he would have to be content with cementing his points jersey, in fourth place.
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Robert Millar was one of the last pure climbers of the Tour de France, winning several stages in the mountain stages and finishing fourth overall in 1984. He is also the only English speaker to have ever won the prestigious polka-dot jersey climber's competition jersey.
Millar retired in 1995 but has continued to follow the sport closely. He was often critical of the media and quickly cuts through the excuses and spin to understand why and how riders win and lose.