Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali has won the 2013 Giro d’Italia in an overall time of 84hours 53’28″, four minutes, 43seconds ahead of Team Sky’s Rigoberto Uran in second and five minutes, 52seconds ahead of third-placed Cadel Evans (BMC). The Astana rider was all-but assured victory after yesterday’s epic stage victory, amidst freezing, blizzard conditions for a summit finish in which he retained his race leader’s pink jersey meaning that today’s easy pack position proved more than enough for him to claim victory.
Britain’s Mark Cavendish took today’s Stage 21 win; the flat 197km run into Brescia was always going to fit the sprinter and with plenty of points still available he grabbed the opportunity and did what he does best. His effort made him the first sprinter in five years to win the Giro’s coveted red points leader’s jersey and only the fifth ever to win its equivalent across all three Grand Tours (he joins legend Eddy Merckx, Alessandro Petacchi, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Laurent Jalabert.)
