Stage 20

The road

How it was won

1. 148 km to go

   Zakarin alone at Susa

   The last mountain day of the Giro reaches the valley floor with Ilnur Zakarin up the road and Astana tapping out a steady, unthreatening tempo behind. It looks controlled.

2. 232 km to go

   Landa attacks on the gravel

   Seven kilometres of unsealed white road at nine and ten per cent, and Mikel Landa detonates on it. Contador — on an obvious off-day, with not one teammate left anywhere near him — cannot go. For five kilometres the gap yawns wider and a three-week grip on the corsa rosa comes closer to melting than anyone expected.

3. 327 km to go

   The summit of the Finestre

   Landa crests the highest point of the Giro 1:30 up on the maglia rosa and Aru is 45 seconds ahead of him. Contador catches Zakarin at the top and, crucially, has not cracked completely.

4. 416 km to go

   Sixteen kilometres of false flat

   The descent is fast and well surfaced and nothing changes on it. Then the long drag towards Sestriere, no team support in sight, and any weakness would be laid bare. None appears.

5. 55 km to go

   Landa rides for Aru

   The six come together and any dream Landa had of turning the Giro upside down dies at the front of the line, where he finds himself pulling for his team leader instead.

6. 6At the line

   Aru twice, Contador's Giro

   Aru drops Hesjedal, then Urán, and goes clear 1.5 kilometres out for a second consecutive stage win. Contador fades over the last two kilometres and it does not matter at all: the maglia rosa is his.

The result