Welcome to our coverage of stage 20 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia. As the penultimate stage of the race and the final before tomorrow's sprint stage into Rome, this marks the last opportunity for the climbers to win a stage and the GC contenders to take time in the overall standings.
At 184km in length and with two ascents of the mythical Monte Grappa, this stage is one of the toughest of the race. Starting in Alpago and finishing with a descent into Bassano del Grappa, could we see some time gaps open up that could prove to be decisive in the battle for the podium and the Maglia Bianca?
Follow along throughout the stage as we bring you live updates from the penultimate stage and if you would like to get in touch, then you can reach out to us on X - @CyclingWeekly
The riders are underway for the neutral start in Alpago. They will be hoping to get going as soon as possible, as the rain is falling in the region of Veneto. The organisers have delayed the start by a few minutes, as the average speed over the last few stages have exceeded their predicted schedules.
184km to go: The official start has been given and the penultimate stage of this year's Giro d'Italia is underway!
180km to go: EF Education-EasyPost seem keen to get up the road with Georg Steinhauser. The German, who is wearing the Maglia Azzurra on behalf of Tadej Pogačar, has been involved in every attack off the front so far. Could he take his second stage win of the race after his victory on stage 17?
174km to go: Davide Ballerini (Astana Qazaqstan) and Lorenzo Germani (Groupama-FDJ) have a small gap over the peloton, but it does not feel like the breakaway has fully formed just yet. UAE Team Emirates are keen to control things at the front of the peloton as they have been throughout this year's race.
Here's how the general classification looks at the start of today's stage:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, in 71:24:03
2. Dani Martínez (Col) Bora-Hansgrohe, +7:42
3. Geraint Thomas (Gbr) Ineos Grenadiers, +8:04
4. Ben O'Connor (Aus) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, +9:47
5. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, +10:29
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, +11:10
7. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +12:42
8. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar, +13:33
9. Filippo Zana (Ita) Jayco-AIUla, +13:52
10. Jan Hirt (Cze) Soudal Quick-Step, +14:44
Will we see any shift in the top-10 on the penultimate stage? We'll have to wait and see...
166km to go: Ballerini and Germani have around half a minute over the peloton. The attacks are not over in the peloton yet, as Steinhauser is continuing to persist with attempts to go clear off the front. Polti-Kometa are also keen to send a rider up the road and get their sponsors some more exposure at the head of the race.
157km to go: A ten-man chasing group has formed off the front of the peloton and are attempting to chase down the two men at the head of the race. The group consists of Nicola Conci and Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Henok Mulubrhan (Astana Qazaqstan), Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek), Rubén Fernández (Cofidis), Pelayo Sánchez (Movistar), Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) and Andrea Pietrobon (Polti-Kometa).
154km to go: The breakaway are up and over the first categorised climb of the day. At 1.2km in length with an average gradient of 12.3%, the Muro di Ca' del Poggio will feel like little more than a bump in the road when compared with what is to come on today's stage. It certainly did not pose any problems to those at the head of the race, but its narrow and steep road is acting as a bit of a bottleneck in the peloton behind.
145km to go: The chasing group is still around half a minute behind Ballerini and Germani at front and it is only a matter of time before they bridge the gap. The peloton seem content with the composition ahead as they have allowed their advantage to go out to just under four minutes. UAE Team Emirates are continuing to control the gap in the main bunch, but the pace does not appear to be too high at the moment.
140km to go: The chasers have now caught Ballerini and Germani, making it a twelve-man group at the head of the race. The breakaway's gap now sits at over four minutes to the peloton.
The winner and runner-up of yesterday's stage, Andrea Vendrame and Pelayo Sánchez, are in the breakaway once again on today's stage.
Despite having just come up short on stage 19, Sánchez does already have a stage win to his name at this year's Giro d'Italia, having beaten Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) in a two-man sprint to the line in Rapolano Terme on stage 6.
Could either of them take another stage win in Bassano del Grappa or will we see a different face on the podium at the end of the day?
120km to go: The breakaway is working well together at the head of the race. Their gap to the peloton has stabilised and UAE Team Emirates are not allowing them anything more than four minutes. Tadej Pogačar is clearly keen on taking the stage win and his team are once again putting in the work at the front of the main group.
115km to go: Tadej Pogačar is back in the cars and has been seen gesticulating at his team car and the medical car. The Slovenian is clearly unhappy about something, as he has been rubbing his arms. The situation in the peloton seems fairly relaxed though, as his team are still controlling things at the front of the bunch.
108km to go: Davide Ballerini takes maximum points at the intermediate sprint in Possagno ahead Edward Theuns. Andrea Pietrobon finishes in third place to give him the outright lead in the intermediate sprints competition after being level on points with Julian Alaphilippe at the start of the stage.
106km to go: The sunshine has been out for some time now after rainy start to the stage and the riders are beginning to get rid of their wet weather clothing. They are also using this opportunity to take some nutrition on board as they near the halfway point in the stage.
102km to go: The cause of the aforementioned mini-drama between Tadej Pogačar and his team car has now been revealed. According to Eurosport, the Slovenian's team were struggling to find any sunscreen in the car, which forced the Maglia Rosa to go to the medical car instead. The sun has been out in full force and the race leader clearly wants to avoid getting burnt.
98km to go: A small crash in the peloton for the stage 1 winner Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos Grenadiers). The Ecuadorian seemed to be the only rider that went down and he was immediately back on his bike.
95km to go: The breakaway are now onto the slopes of the Monte Grappa for the first ascent of the climb. At 18.1km in length with an average gradient of 8.1%, this climb will be a test for all of the riders in the race and they will have to take it on twice.
93km to go: The breakaway has fractured on the lower slopes of the Monte Grappa. Janssens, Mulubrhan and Sánchez have established themselves as a three-man group at the head of the race, with Conci, Vendrame, Germani, Tonelli and Fernández still chasing on behind.
91km to go: Mikkel Bjerg is setting the pace on the front of the peloton for UAE Team Emirates. Bora Hansgrohe and Ineos Grenadiers have placed themselves up towards the front of the main group, as they look to keep Daniel Felipe Martínez and Geraint Thomas in good position
89km to go: Pietrobon and Germani are the first riders from the breakaway to be caught by the peloton. UAE Team Emirates are setting an infernal pace in the bunch and they have already brought the gap to the breakaway down to just over three minutes.
88km to go: Vendrame, Tonelli and Fernández have bridged the gap to the three riders at the front and have rejoined the head of the race. Meanwhile, Ballerini is the next rider to be caught by the peloton.
87km to go: The riders have reached the halfway point on the first ascent of the Monte Grappa. The group is strung out at the back of the peloton, as UAE Team Emirates continue to set a hard tempo with Vegard Stake Laengen.
83km to go: Janssens and Sánchez have dropped the rest of the breakaway and are now together at the head of the race with 5km to go on the climb as their gap goes under two minutes.
82km to go: Tonelli has clawed his way back up to the two-man breakaway. Meanwhile in the peloton, Filippo Zana (Jayco AlUla), who began the stage in ninth place in the general classification, has been distanced from the main group under the pace of UAE Team Emirates.
80km to go: The breakaway's gap has been brought down to just over a minute with around 2km to go on the climb. Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) has attacked off the front of the peloton and he is now chasing down the breakaway. The 20-year-old Italian rider will be looking to take points in the mountains classification and perhaps contest the stage win.
78km to go: Pellizzari has caught and passed the breakaway to take the maximum points over the top of the Monte Grappa. They will work together on the descent to extend their gap on the peloton, which currently sits at a minute over the main bunch.
71km to go: Janssens has been dropped by the other breakaway riders on the descent. The two VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè riders are working well with Sánchez, but their gap to the peloton is still falling.
68km to go: Pellizzari has attacked on a small rise in the middle of the descent. He has distanced his teammate Tonelli, with Janssens still within sight of the front of the race.
66km to go: Vendrame is the next rider from the breakaway to be caught by the peloton. The gap to those at the front has gone out slightly, as it is up to just under a minute and a half.
49km to go: The breakaway has over two and a half minutes on the peloton after the descent. They have just passed through the Intergiro sprint in Semonzo del Grappa, with Tonelli taking the maximum points.
48km to go: Tonelli has been dropped from the front group as they hit the slopes of the Monte Grappa for the second time. Pellizzari is continuing to press on at the front with Sánchez in his wheel.
46km to go: Janssens has been caught by UAE Team Emirates, as Vegard Stake Laengen continues to set the tempo. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) has been dropped by the peloton under the pace of Tadej Pogačar's team.
46km to go: Pellizzari has dropped Sánchez and is now pushing on with around 15km to go on the climb. The young Italian currently has around two and a half minutes of an advantage over the peloton. We will now have to see whether he can reach the summit ahead of the main bunch.
44km to go: Tonelli has now been caught by the peloton, as Mikkel Bjerg drops from the main group. The Dane received a thumbs up from Pogačar after his job was done and he went backwards.
43km to go: Sánchez has now been caught by the peloton, leaving Pellizzari as the sole rider ahead of the peloton. Felix Großschartner has now come to the front of the main group to set the pace for UAE Team Emirates.
41km to go: Großschartner has finished his turn and it is now up to Domen Novak and Rafał Majka are the only two men left for Tadej Pogačar in the peloton. Novak is on the front for now, with Majka poised in the wheel as the last man before the seemingly inevitable attack from the race leader. The gap to Pellizzari is currently under two minutes with around 10km to go on the climb.
37km to go: Novak has now finished his turn on the front as the gap to Pellizzari has now dropped to under a minute and a half. Majka is now taking over as he attempts to set up Pogačar's attack.
36km to go: A small gap has opened up in the group of GC favourites with Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) distanced under the pace of Majka. An attack from Pogačar seems imminent.
36km to go: Pogačar attacks and goes off in search of Pellizzari. The Italian's gap currently sits at around half a minute.
35km to go: Pogačar has now caught Pellizzari with just under 5km to go on the climb. They have now reached a small plateau section and the Slovenian seems keen to work with the Italian in order build a gap on those behind for the descent.
34km to go: Pogačar has now dropped Pellizzari as the road goes uphill again. With 3km to go on the climb, he has around a minute on the rest of the GC contenders. It's set to be another dominant by the UAE Team Emirates rider.
33km to go: Einer Rubio (Movistar) is hanging in there with Daniel Felipe Martínez (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) in the chasing group. As it stands, the Colombian rider is set to move himself up in the general classification.
30km to go: Pogačar has reached the summit of the final climb and is now onto the descent. He has nearly a two minute gap on the group of Martínez, who have now caught Pellizzari.
23km to go: The confident descenders are really coming to the fore on this descent to the finish. Tiberi clearly looks more comfortable than Martínez in the chasing group. The gaps seems to have stabilised to those behind Pogačar now.
19km to go: The group containing Thomas and O'Connor have made their way back on to the back of the Martínez group, as the Colombian puts in a dig on a short uphill section on the descent.
16km to go: Rubio and Tiberi have now caught Martínez on the descent. The trio are back together with Thomas and O'Connor continuing to chase them behind. There is currently around ten seconds of a gap between the two groups.
11km to go: Thomas and O'Connor have joined the group of Martínez and are now on the final section of the descent to the finish.
10km to go: Pogačar has effectively sealed his sixth stage win of the race and if the gaps stay as they are now, then he will the Giro d'Italia by more than ten minutes.
5km to go: Pogačar gives a smile to the camera. He knows that he's won it now. He will ride into centre of Rome as the winner of the Giro d'Italia tomorrow and maybe he'll even try to win the stage.
Tadej Pogačar wins stage 20 of the Giro d'Italia!
Tadej Pogačar wins stage 20 of the Giro d'Italia and seals the overall victory with an imperious solo win.
