Giro 2021: Solo triumph Caruso at Alpe Motta, Bernal keeps maglia rosa

foto: Cor VosDamiano Caruso and Romain Bardet attack in the descent of the Passo del San Bernardino. The Italian distances the Frenchman on the finish climb to solo to victory, while Egan Bernal finishes in second. The Colombian still leads the GC, 2 minutes ahead of the stage winner. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 20th stage Giro d’Italia 2021

1. Damiano Caruso (ita)
2. Egan Bernal (col) + 0.24
3. Daniel Felipe Martínez (col) + 0.35
4. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
5. João Almeida (por) + 0.41
6. Simon Yates (gbr) + 0.51
7. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) + 1.13
8. Hugh Carthy (gbr) + 1.29
9. Lorenzo Fortunato (ita) + 2.07
10. Antonio Pedrero (spa) + 2.23

GC after stage 20
1. Egan Bernal (col)
2. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 1.59
3. Simon Yates (gbr) + 3.23
4. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) + 7.07
5. Romain Bardet (fra) + 7.48
6. Daniel Felipe Martínez (col) + 7.56
7. Hugh Carthy (gbr) + 8.22
8. João Almeida (por) + 8.50
9. Tobias Foss (nor) + 12.39
10. Daniel Martin (irl) + 16.48

Race report
Attacks are flying from the gun, but it takes almost 35 kilometres for the breakaway to take shape. Dries De Bondt, Louis Vervaeke, Simon Pellaud, Taco van der Hoorn, Matteo Jorgenson, Vincenzo Albanese, Giovanni Visconti, Felix Großschartner and Nico Denz carve out a lead of more than 5 minutes.

Vervaeke and Großschartner head out together on the Passo del San Bernardino, while Visconti, Albanese and Pellaud chase them down. The peloton is 1 minute behind at the summit.

KOM leader Bouchard is the first rider in the peloton to summit. The maglia azurra is almost his.

Team mates Bardet-Hamilton-Storer and Caruso-Bilbao attack in the descent. They rejoin the leaders in the valley before they tackle the Passo dello Spluga 20 seconds ahead of the peloton. The attackers extend their lead to 45 seconds at the summit. While Caruso, Bardet, Bilbao and Storer are the last men standing, Bouchard is the winner of the KOM classification on the 2021 Giro.

The four enter the finish climb with a stable lead before Bardet and Caruso forge on together in the last 6.5 kilometres. Martínez sets a ferocious pace in the chase group. Only Bernal, Yates and Almeida remaining.

While Caruso goes alone in the last kilometres, Yates can’t follow the pace in the chase group.

Bernal goes all out after the flamme rouge, but Caruso is impeccable. The Italian wins the stage 24 seconds ahead of Bernal.

The Colombian stays in the GC lead, 1.59 minutes ahead of Caruso and 3.23 minutes ahead of Yates.

Another interesting read: route 20th stage 2021 Giro.