Giro d'Italia 2022 - Stage 21 preview

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Stage 21: Verona to Verona

Date: May 29, 2022

Distance: 17.4km 

Race times: 13:55-17:15 (CEST)

Stage type: ITT

For the fourth year in a row, the Giro d’Italia will finish with an individual time trial, for the second time taking place around the historic cultural centre of Verona, once home to many great artists and to Shakespeare himself, who set a number of his plays in the city.

Whether the final stage of the Giro will see any drama will depend in part on the overall standings. For the time trial specialists, the main frustration of the day will be the brevity of the course. If time gaps are still tight at the end of the fight for the maglia rosa, 17.4km may not be enough for them to make a difference. For the fans watching at home, if the time gaps are beyond a doubt, it may lack excitement, as the short distance will not be great enough to see a shake-up in the standings.

The route is a copy of the one used in 2019, and works its way around the city, including some technical turns and a short pavé sector after the route crosses the river. The profile offers a pleasing symmetry, with flat sections at the beginning and end and a category four climb on the Via Torricelle (4.5 kilometres at 4.6 per cent) in the centre, ensuring that the short time trial isn’t entirely straightforward. The day, and the race, will culminate in the Roman amphitheatre in Verona’s centre, a truly grand setting to conclude la corsa rosa.

In 2019, Chad Haga beat Victor Campenaerts and Thomas De Gendt for the stage win with a time of 22:07, while Richard Carapaz cemented the overall win. Ineos Grenadiers will hope that history will repeat itself, but in terms of the stage, Jumbo-Visma will be the favourites, and will hope to seal victory with one of their collection of strong time triallists, including Tom Dumoulin, Edoardo Affini and Tobias Foss. If the GC battle is still on, João Almeida (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) and Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) are both strong against the clock and may be able to claw back a few precious seconds in their quest to finish on the top step of the podium, wearing the maglia rosa as the winner of the 2022 Giro d’Italia.