Welcome to our coverage of stage 21 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia. After twenty days of racing in Italy, the race arrives at the capital in Rome. Having led the race from stage 2 and taken six stage wins along the way, Tadej Pogačar is set to be crowned the overall winner of the race.
The Slovenian is not expected to add to his tally on today's stage (although you should never rule him out), as is it is set to be a sprint finish in front of the Colosseum. At 125km in length, the stage will take the riders to the coast at Ostia before heading into historic centre of the 'Eternal City' for eight laps of a 9.5km finishing circuit.
Follow along throughout the stage as we bring you live updates from the final stage and if you would like to get in touch, then you can reach out to us on X - @CyclingWeekly
The final stage of the 2024 Giro d'Italia is underway!
The riders have begun the final stage of the 2024 Giro d'Italia. Whilst previous editions have featured an individual time trial on the last day, this year's race will follow on from last year with a procession into Rome before a sprint into the finale.
120km to go: The stage has been underway for around 5km now, but the racing has not got going just yet. All of the classification leaders are taking the time to get pictures with their teams.
UAE Team Emirates' new pink kit
UAE Team Emirates have a new kit for the final stage of the Giro d'Italia to celebrate their overall victory with Tadej Pogačar. With pink shoulders and other pink details on their kits, these celebratory jerseys have become a firm fixture on the final stages of every Grand Tour.
The team are one of nine to finish the race with all eight riders, as Rafał Majka, Vegard Stake Laengen, Domen Novak, Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Großschartner, Rui Oliveira and Juan Sebastián Molano have all played a key role in Pogačar's overall victory.
105km to go: UAE Team Emirates have come to the front of the peloton and have strung out the main group. They clearly are not done at this race yet, as they are hoping to take the stage win with Juan Sebastián Molano.
102km to go: Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco AlUla) have come to the front of the peloton to kindly ask UAE Team Emirates to slow it down a bit. Felix Großschartner seems happy to oblige and the peloton is beginning to bunch up again now.
Here are your classification winners for the 2024 Giro d'Italia:
General classification - Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
Points classification - Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Mountains classification - Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
Youth classification - Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious)
Teams classification - Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
With no major time gaps expected and insufficient points on offer on today's stage, these classifications will not change today if all of the riders make it to the finish in Rome.
Here's how the general classification looks at the start of today's stage:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, in 76:22:13
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) Bora-Hansgrohe, +9:56
3. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, +10:24
4. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +12:07
5. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, +12:49
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, +14:31
7. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar, +15:52
8. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +18:05
9. Jan Hirt (Cze) Soudal Quick-Step, +20:32
10. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor Pro Cycling, +21:11
If all of them safely arrive at the finish in Rome, then there is not expected to be any time gaps between the top-10 on today's stage.
77km to go: As we enter the finishing circuit, Domenico Pozzovivo (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) has been allowed to go off the front of the peloton to lead the race across the finish line. The Italian veteran is riding his 18th and final edition of the Giro d'Italia at this year's race and is set to retire at the end of the season.
71km to go: The first attacks of the stage are here and a four-man breakaway has formed at the head of the race, containing Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Alex Baudin (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Mikkel Honoré (EF Education-EasyPost) and Martin Marcellusi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè). The peloton led by UAE Team Emirates seem content to let this group go up the road.
65km to go: The breakaway and the peloton have passed the Colosseum for the first time and the leading group currently have just under half a minute of an advantage over the peloton.
63km to go: The sprinters' teams have come to the front of the peloton and have taken over the pacing from UAE Team Emirates. Soudal Quick-Step, Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck are now working together to control the gap to the breakaway.
57km to go: Mikkel Honoré takes maximum points at the first intermediate sprint of the day. The four-man group are working well together, but are only being allowed around twenty seconds of a gap by the sprinters' teams.
50km to go: A mechanical for Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) at the back of the peloton. The Belgian rider seems fairly relaxed about the whole situation and gave a smile to the camera as he got going again.
47km to go: With five laps left of the finishing circuit, the gap to the breakaway has gone up to over half a minute. Tim Merlier is still chasing his way back on to the peloton through the team cars. Soudal Quick-Step have not sent any riders back to help him, showing that they are quite relaxed about the whole situation.
37km to go: Ewen Costiou takes maximum points at the Intergiro sprint at Fori Imperiali. The situation is relatively unchanged to those at the front, as their gap still sits at around half a minute.
20km to go: The sprinters' teams are now really beginning to get organised. UAE Team Emirates have come to the fore once again with the likes of Soudal Quick-Step, Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck still up towards the front. The gap to the breakaway is now at around ten seconds and peloton have them in their sights.
19km to go: Mikkel Honoré wins the final intermediate sprint of this year's Giro d'Italia. With two laps left of the finishing circuit, the riders are now entering the business end of the stage and it will not be long before the teams get into their leadout trains for the finale.
14km to go: Crash in the peloton. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling), who began the day in tenth place in the overall standings has hit the deck along with Dries De Pooter (Intermarché-Wanty) and Hugo Hofstetter (Israel-Premier Tech) also involved.
13km to go: The four-man breakaway has now been caught. Pieter Serry (Soudal Quick-Step) is continuing to set the pace on the front of the peloton. The sprinters' teams are now getting organised and will soon appear at the front of the peloton.
9km to go: UAE Team Emirates have now come to the front to lead the peloton across the line for the final lap of the stage. They will be trying to deliver Juan Sebastián Molano for the sprint.
8km to go: Mechanical for Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek). With the pace being set at the front of the peloton, it is unlikely that the Italian sprinter will see the front of the race again. His team still have an option for the sprint in Edward Theuns, but it's a big blow for the rider who has already won three stages of this year's Giro d'Italia.
5km to go: Ineos Grenadiers and Bora-Hansgrohe have come to the front to keep Geraint Thomas and Daniel Felipe Martínez safe as they get ever-closer to the finish.
4km to go: Jonathan Milan has rejoined the peloton, but after such a tough chase back on, will he have anything left for the sprint? He has got a long way to go to get back to the front of the peloton, as the bunch is strung out.
2km to go: Tadej Pogačar has come to the front of the peloton for UAE Team Emirates as the maglia rosa looks to position his teammate Molano.
1km to go: Lidl-Trek have somehow brought Jonathan Milan back to the front of the peloton. A massive effort by his teammates to bring him back into contention for the stage win.
Tim Merlier wins the final stage of the Giro d'Italia!
Tim Merlier sprints to victory on the cobbles in Rome! Jonathan Milan looked like he was going to come alongside him in the sprint, but it was a comfortable margin of victory for the Soudal Quick-Step rider in the end.
