Back to 2013 Giro page | Stage 21 photos (posted below results and stage maps) |

21st and Final Stage, Sunday, May 26: Riese Pio X - Brescia, 197 km

The Race: Omega Pharma spent a lot of time at the front but at 50 km to go Astana was leading at an easy tempo with their leader Vincenzo Nibali a few riders from the front.

Astana led the bunch into the first of seven technical 4.2 km circuits in Brescia with 31 km to go. 39-year-old Stefano Garzelli, winner of the 2000 edition and riding his last Giro stage, was allowed to ride off the front for a few meters of the first lap, waving farewell to the crowd.

Quickly Mark Cavendish's Omega Pharma squad started working to control the pack. There was a lot of confusion as to which lap had the final intermediate sprint, which Cavendish wanted to win to gain the points classification. Not taking any chances, Cavendish sprinted across the line the first three laps (the third had the sprint) and did nail the Red Jersey.

10 km to go, Omega Pharma remained at the front maintaining a very hot pace (46-48 km/hr) with Cannondale lurking close by. KOM Stefano Pirazzi was the last man of a very strung-out peloton. Elbows started flying as competition for the front became intense but with 6.5 km to go Omega Pharma was still in command of a fractured peloton.

Two km to go Cavendish had only two teammates left. Cannondale slipped to the front in the last km.

The final sprint started out as a drag race between Cavendish and Sacha Modolo (who went too early according to Cavendish), but Cavendish was the faster man, earning his fifth stage win and the Red Jersey.

Vincenzo Nibali finished safely in the pack making him the 2013 Giro d'Italia champion.

Results 168 classified finishers

1. Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) 5hr 30min 9sec. 35.802 km/hr
2. Sacha Modolo (Bardiani-CSF) s.t.
3. Elia Viviani (Canondale) s.t.
4. Giacomo Nizzolo (Radio Shack) s.t.
5. Luka Mezgec (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
6. Roberto Ferrari (Lampre-Merida) s.t.
7. Kenny Dehaes (Lotto-Belisol)
8. Manuel Belletti (Ag2r) s.t.
9. Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) s.t.
10. Luca Paolini (Katusha)s.t.
11. Brett Lancaster (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
12. Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) s.t.
13. Ioannis Tamouridis (Euskaltel) s.t.
14. Robert Hunter (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
15. Marco Canola (Bardiani-CSF) s.t.
16. Leonardo Fabio Duque (Colombia) s.t.
17. Rafael Andriato (Vini Fantini) s.t.
18. Miguel Angel Rubiano (Andorni Giocattoli) s.t.
19. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) s.t.
20. Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-Quick step) s.t.
21. Dominique Rollin (FDJ) s.t.
22. Patrick Gretsch (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
23. Bert de Backer (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
24. Sonny Colbrelli (Bardian-CSF) s.t.
25. Edwin Alcibiad Avila (Colombia) s.t.
26. Salvatore Puccio (Sky) s.t.
27. Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida) s.t.
28. Muaro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini) s.t.
29. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r) s.t.
30. Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) s.t.
31. Cadel Evans (BMC) s.t.
32. Davide Appollonio (Ag2r) s.t.
33. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
34. Benat Intxausti (Movistar) s.t.
35. Fabio Sabatini (Cannondale) s.t.
36. Danilo Wyss (BMC) s.t.
37. Tobias Ludvigsson (Argos-shimano)s t.
38. Robert Kiserlovski (Radio Shack) s.t.
39. Koen de Kort (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
40. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre-Merida) s.t.
41. Carlos Alberto Betancur (Ag2r) s.t.
42. Filippo Pozzato (Lampre-Merida) s.t.
43. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana) s.t.
44. Diego Rosa (Androni Giocattoli) s.t.
45. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) s.t.
46. Sergio Henao (Sky) s.t.
47. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) s.t.
48. Damiano Caruso (Cannondale) s.t.
49. Tanel Kangert (Astana) s.t.
50. Juan Manuel Garate (Blanco) s.t.

Complete Final GC after Stage 21: 3,333.8 kilometers raced at an average speed of 39.27 km/hr. Second fastest Giro ever.

1. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 84hr 53min 28sec
2. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) @ 4min 43sec
3. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 5min 52sec
4. Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida) @ 6min 48sec
5. Carlos Alberto Betancur (Ag2r) @ 7min 28sec
6. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre-Merida) @ 7min 43sec
7. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 8min 9sec
8. Benat Intxausti (Movistar) @ 10min 26sec
9. Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini) @ 10min 32sec
10. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r) @ 10min 59sec
11. Franco Pellizotti (Andorni Giocattoli) @ 11min 35sec
12. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 12min 13sec
13. Yury Trofimov (Katusha) @ 12min 55sec
14. Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 12min 57sec
15. Robert Kiserlovski (Radio Shack) @ 14min 27sec
16. Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 18min 19sec
17. Wilco Kelderman (Blanco) @ 20min 18sec
18. Darwin Atapuma (Colombia) @ 28min 56sec
19. Damiano Caruso (Cannondale) @ 30min 56sec
20. Francis Mourey (FDJ) @ 32min 22sec
21. Francis de Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 33min 20sec
22. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) @ 37min 14sec
23. Diego Rosa (Andorni Giocattoli) @ 40min 23sec
24. José Herrada (Movistar) @ 40min 34sec
25. Evgeni Petrov (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 41min 54sec
26. Steven Kruijswijk (Blanco) @ 42min 36sec
27. José Rodolfo Serpa (Lampre-Merida) @ 44min 17sec
28. Fabio Andres Duarte (Colombia) @ 47min 37sec
29. Rafael Valls (Vacansoleil) @ 54min 29sec
30. Ivan Santaromita (BMC) @ 56min 52sec
31. Juan Manuel Garate (Blanco) @ 58min 21sec
32. Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 1hr 2min 5sec
33. Jorge Azanza (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 7min21sec
34. Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 1hr 10min 16sec
35. Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) @ 1hr 10min 47sec
36. Tiago Machado (Radio Shack) @ 1hr 12min 10sec
37. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Sky) @ 1hr 13min 17sec
38. Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 1hr 17min 18sec
39. Valerio Agnoli (Astana) @ 1hr 18min 46sec
40. Petr Ignatenko (Katusha) @ 1hr 20min 46sec
41. Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) @ 1hr 22min 0sec
42. Fabio Aru (Astana) @ 1hr 24min 53sec
43. Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 30min 59sec
44. Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani-CSF) @ 1hr 33min 42sec
45. Miguel Angel Rubiano (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 34min 47sec
46. Jarlinson Pantano (Colombia) @ 1hr 35min 37sec
47. Vladimir Karpets (Movistar) @ 1hr 36min 0sec
48. Stef Clement (Blanco) @ 1hr 38min 38sec
49. Thomas Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) @ 1hr 39min 17sec
50. Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 39min 22sec
51. Ben Gastauer (Ag2r) @ 1hr 40min 31sec
52. Peter Stetina (Garmin-Sharp) @ 1hr 42min 37sec
53. Thomas Damuseau (Argos-Shimano) @ 1hr 42min 54sec
54. Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil) @ 1hr 44min 41sec
55. Matteo Rabottini (Vini Fantini) @ 1hr 44min 44sec
56. Simone Stortoni (Lampre-Merida) @ 1hr 47min 10sec
57. Dario Cataldo (Sky) @ 1hr 49min 35sec
58. Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 52min 2sec
59. Luca Paolini (Katusha) @ 1hr 57min 35sec
60. Christian Knees (Sky) @ 1hr 59min 2sec
61. Bruno Pires (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 1hr 59min 27sec
62. Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 2hr 3min 6sec
63. Paul Martens (Blanco) @ 2hr 4min 25sec
64. Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel) @ 2hr 4min 57sec
65. Vladimir Gusev (Katusha) @ 2hr 5min 7sec
66. Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) @ 2hr 5min 43sec
67. Paolo Longo Borghini (Cannondale) @ 2hr 6min 59sec
68. Kristijan Durasek (Lampre-Merida) @ 2hr 8min 2sec
69. Patrick Gretsch (Argos-Shimano) @ 2hr 8min 14sec
70. Eros Capecchi (Movistar) @ 2hr 11min 19sec
71. Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Bardiani-CSF) @ 2hr 12min 4sec
72. Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) @ 2hr 14min 40sec
73. Salvatore Puccio (Sky) @ 2hr 15min 10sec
74. Jens Keukeleire (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 2hr 16min 21sec
75. Dominique Rollin (FDJ) @ 2hr 17min 45sec
76. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) @ 2hr 17min 54sec
77. Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 2hr 20min 10sec
78. Koen de Kort @ 2hr 20min 49sec
79. Leonardo Fabio Duque (Colombia) @ 2hr 21min 24sec
80. Daniele Pietropolli (Lampre) @ 2hr 21min 51sec
81. Nelson Filipe Oliviera (Radio Shack) @ 2hr 25min 34sec
82. Xabier Zandio (Sky) @ 2hr 26min 25sec
83. Frederik Veuchelen (Vacansoleil) @ 2hr 31min 39sec
84. Danilo Wyss (BMC) @ 2hr 32min 56sec
85. Pablo Lastras (Movistar) @ 2hr 33min 46sec
86. Cristiano Salerno (Cannondale) @ 2hr 34min 25sec
87. Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp) @ 2hr 34min 25sec
88. Alessandro Proni (Vini Fantini) @ 2hr 36min 35sec
89. Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani-CSF) @ 2hr 36min 44sec
90. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana) @ 2hr 27min 4sec
91. Cayetano Sarmiento (Cannondale) @ 2hr 37min 50sec
92. Robert Vrecer (Euskaltel) @ 2hr 38min 43sec
93. Fabio Sabatini (Cannondale) @ 2hr 40min 29sec
94. Robinson Chalapud (Colombia) @ 2hr 41min 16sec
95. Lars Ytting Bak (Lotto-Belisol) @ 2hr 42min 0sec
96. Danilo Hondo (Radio Shack) @ 2hr 42min 21sec
97. Rory Sutherland (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 2hr 44min 50sec
98. Oscar Gatto (Vini Fantini) @ 2hr 44min 53sec
99. Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) @ 2hr 45min 35sec
100. Manuele Boaro (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 2hr 46min 42sec
101. Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil) @ 2hr 48min 45sec
102. Stefano Locatelli (Bardiani-CSF) @ 2hr 49min 20sec
103. Pavel Brutt (Katusha) @ 2hr 51min 24sec
104. Gert Dockx (Lotto-Belisol) @ 2hr 52min 14sec
105. Gianluca Brambilla (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 2hr 52min 48sec
106. Andrey Zeits (Astana) @ 2hr 52min 59sec
107. Guillaume Bonnefond (Ag2r) @ 2hr 53min 9sec
108. Stefano Garzelli (Vini Fantini) @ 2hr 53min 18sec
109. Vicente Reynes (Lotto-Belisol) @ 2hr 54min12sec
110. Christian Vendevelde (Garmin-Sharp) @ 2hr 56min 49sec
111. Dirk Bellemakers (Lotto-Belisol) @ 2hr 57min 11sec
112. Tobias Ludvigsson (Argos-Shimano) @ 2hr 57min 42sec
113. Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Cannondale) @ 3hr 0min 15sec
114. Alan Marangoni (Cannondale) @ 3hr 0min 24sec
115. Johan Le Bon (FDJ) @ 3hr 0min 57sec
116. Juan José Cobo (Movistar) @ 3hr 1min 32sec
117. Frederik Willems (Lotto-Belisol) @ 3hr 3min 4sec
118. Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 3hr 3min 23sec
119. Elia Viviani (Cannondale) @ 3hr 4min 25sec
120. Filippo Pozzato @ 3hr 5min 27sec
121. Brett Lancaster (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 3hr 6min 56sec
122. George Bennett (Radio shack) @ 3hr 7min 1sec
123. Luka Mezgec (Argos-Shimano) @ 3hr 10min 39sec
124. Jérome Pineau (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 3hr 12min 42sec
125. Sacha Modolo (Bardiani-CSF) @ 3hr 15min 47sec
126. Mads Christiansen (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 3hr 17min 16sec
127. Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 3hr 19min 16sec
128. Cameron Wurf (Canondale) @ 3hr 19min 38sec
129. Albert Timmer (Argos-Shimano) @ 3hr 19min 44sec
130. Giacomo Nizzolo (Radio Shack) @ 3hr 19min 54sec
131. Maarten Tjallingii (Blanco) @ 3hr 21min 2sec
132. Julien Vermote (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 3hr 21min 52sec
133. Yaroslav Popovych (Radio Shack) @ 3hr 21min 56sec
134. Danny Pate (Sky) @ 3hr 23min 47sec
135. Brian Bulgac (Lotto-Belisol) @ 3hr 25min 47sec
136. Thomas Dekker (Garmin-Sharp) @ 3hr 26min 28sec
137. Nicola Boem (Bardiani-CSF) @ 3hr 29min 53sec
138. Edoardo Zardini (Bardiani-CSF) @ 3hr 30min 3sec
139. Marco Canola (Bardiani-CSF) @ 3hr 33min 22sec
140. Daniel Oss (BMC) @ 3hr 34min 46sec
141. Robert Hunter (Garmin-Sharp) @ 3hr 35min 17sec
142. Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 3hr 37min 21sec
143. Christian Meier (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 3hr 37min 26sec
144. Manuel Belletti (Ag2r) @ 3hr 38min 31sec
145. Ricardo Mestre (Euskaltel) @ 3hr 39min 17sec
146. Dmitriy Gruzdev (Astana) @ 3hr 40min 15sec
147. Murilo Antonio Fischer (FDJ) @ 3hr 40min 46sec
148. Alex Dowsett (Movistar) @ 3hr 40min 57sec
149. Stephen Cummings (BMC) @ 3hr 44min 28sec
150. Roberto Ferrari (Lampre-Merida) @ 3hr 46min 26sec
151. Giairo Ermeti (Androni Giocattoli) @ 3hr 46min 45sec
152. Ioannis Tamouridis (Euskaltel) @ 3hr 47min 23sec
153. Jesse Sergent (Radio Shack) @ 3hr 47min 31sec
154. Svein Tuft (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 3hr 50min 1sec
155. Maurits Lammertink (Vacansoleil) @ 3hr 53min 10sec
156. Kenny Dehaes (Lotto-Belisol) @ 3hr 57min 40sec
157. Bert de Backer (Argos-Shimano) @ 3hr 59min 30sec
158. Willem Wauters (Vacansoleil) @ 4hr 3min 29sec
159. Iljo Keisse (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 4hr 4min 57sec
160. Jens Mouris (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 4hr 6min 33sec
161. Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil) @ 4hr 6min 50sec
162. Wilson Marentes Torres (Colombia) @ 4hr 10min 25sec
163. Laurent Pichon (FDJ) @ 4hr 13min 50sec
164. Edwin Alcibiad Avila (Colombia) @ 4hr 17min 9sec
165. Rafael Andriato (Vini Fantini0 @ 4hr 23min 10sec
166. Miguel Minguez (Euskaltel) @ 4hr 24min 54sec
167. Adam Blythe (BMC) @ 4hr 28min 23sec
168. Davide Appollonio (Ag2r) @ 4hr 28min 36sec

Points Competition:

1. Mark Cavendish (Omega-Pharma-Quick Step): 158 points
2. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana): 128
3. Cadel Evans (BMC): 111
4. Carlos Alberto Betancur (Ag2r): 108
5. Giovanni Visconti (Movistar): 105
6. Rigoberto Uran (Sky): 102
7. Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini): 89
8. Elia Viviani (Cannondale): 88
9. Giocomo Nizzolo (Radio Shack): 75
10. Ramnas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp): 65

Climber's Competition:

1. Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani-CSF): 82 points
2. Giovanni Visconti (Movistar): 45
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana): 45
4. Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli): 41
5. Carlos Albert Betancur (Ag2r): 37
6. Robinson Chalapud (Colombia): 31
7. Rigoberto Uran (Sky): 26
8. Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini): 18
9. Fabio Andres Duarte (Colombia): 17
10. Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge): 14

Young Rider:

1. Carlos Alberto Betancur (Ag2r) 85hr 0min 56sec
2. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 41sec
3. Wilco Kelderman (Blanco) @ 12min 50sec
4. Darwin Atapuma (Colombia) @ 21min 28sec
5. Diego Rosa (Androni Giocattoli) @ 32min 55sec
6. Fabio Aru (Astana) @ 1hr 17min 25sec
7. Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 23min 31sec
8. Jarlinson Pantano (Colombia) @ 1hr 28min 9sec
9. Thomas Damuseau (Argos-Shimano) @ 1hr 35min 26sec
10. Francesco Bongiorno (Bardiani-CSF) @ 2hr 4min 36sec

Team Classification:

1. Sky: 254hr 34min 25sec
2. Astana @ 4min 29sec
3. Movistar @ 7min 27sec
4. Lampre-Merida @ 10min 35sec
5. Blanco @ 15min 58sec
6. Ag2r @ 24min 59sec
7. Androni Giocattoli @ 39min 16sec
8. Euskaltel @ 55min 42sec
9. BMC @ 1hr 3min 24sec
10. Katusha @ 1hr 8min 43sec

Stage 21 map

Stage 21 profile

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Stage 21 pictures

The classification winners

Astana spreads out for a moment

But then it was back to work. Note the pink shoes and handlebar tape.

Vincenzo Nibali rode most of the stage near the front with lots of teammates close by.

Once the seven circuits in Brescia started, the racing was red hot. Note Nibali is up at the front with Cavendish.

Nibali enjoys the fruits of a masterful three weeks of racing.

The Astana team with Alexandre Vinokourov.

Second place Rigoberto Uran.

Cadel Evans was third, but if he hadn't had gear trouble yesterday, he probably would have been second. With two kilometers to go in the snowy slush a Campagnolo Nuovo Record derailleur might have come in handy.

Mark Cavendish with his well-earned Red Jersey. He's won the points comeptiton in the Vuelta, Tour and Giro now.

Stefano Pirazzi had the KOM classification sewn up for days.

Carlos Alberto Betancur accepts the Best Young Rider trophy