Giro d'Italia: Primoz Roglic secures overall victory in Rome
Alasdair Fotheringham
·8 min read
Primoz Roglic celebrates winning the overall title at the 2023 Giro d'Italia
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Overall leader JumboVismas Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic C poses with his teammates during the twentyfirst and last stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 135 km in and around Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images
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Astana Qazaqstan Teams British rider Mark Cavendish celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the twentyfirst and last stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 135 km in and around Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images
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Overall leader JumboVismas Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic prepares to take the start of the twentyfirst and last stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 135 km in and around Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images
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Overall leader JumboVismas Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic cycles during the twentyfirst and last stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 135 km in and around Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI AFP Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLIAFP via Getty Images
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Overall leader JumboVismas Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic cycles during the twentyfirst and last stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 135 km in and around Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI AFP Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLIAFP via Getty Images
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Founder of Italian media and publishing company Cairo Communication and President of RCS Media Group Urbano Cairo follows from a car of the organization the twentyfirst and last stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 135 km in and around Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI AFP Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLIAFP via Getty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 A general view of the peloton competing close to the The Colosseum during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 A general view of the peloton competing close to the The Colosseum during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 LR Maxime Bouet of France and Team Arka Samsic Toms Skuji of Latvia and Team Trek Segafredo and Cesare Benedetti of Italy and Team BORA hansgrohe compete in the breakaway close to the The Colosseum during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 LR Cesare Benedetti of Italy and Team BORA hansgrohe Maxime Bouet of France and Team Arka Samsic and Toms Skuji of Latvia and Team Trek Segafredo compete in the breakaway at the Piazza Venezia during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 LR Will Barta of The United States and Movistar Team Santiago Buitrago of Colombia and Team Bahrain Victorious and a general view of the peloton competing at the Piazza Venezia during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 LR Ilan Van Wilder of Belgium and Team Soudal Quick Step Alberto Dainese of Italy and Team DSM and a general view of the peloton competing at the Piazza Venezia during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey with teammates compete during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey celebrates at finish line as overall race winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 LR Laurens De Plus of Belgium and Team INEOS Grenadiers and Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey compete during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
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Astana Qazaqstan Teams British rider Mark Cavendish celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the twentyfirst and last stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 135 km in and around Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images
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Astana Qazaqstan Teams British rider Mark Cavendish celebrates on the podium after winning the twentyfirst and last stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 135 km in and around Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI AFP Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLIAFP via Getty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey celebrates at podium with the Trofeo Senza Fine as final overall race winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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JumboVismas Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic kisses the races winners Trofeo Senza Fine Endless Trophy as he celebrates on the podium after winning the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race in Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI AFP Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLIAFP via Getty Images
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JumboVismas Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic celebrates on the podium with the races winners Trofeo Senza Fine Endless Trophy after winning the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race in Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI AFP Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLIAFP via Getty Images
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Bahrain Victoriouss Italian rider Jonathan Milan celebrates wining the best sprinters cyclamen jersey on the podium after the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race in Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Joo Almeida of Portugal and UAE Team Emirates White Best Young Rider Jersey celebrates at podium during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
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Bahrain Victoriouss team members and staff celebrates winning the best team overall on the podium after the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race in Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey celebrates at podium with the Trofeo Senza Fine as final overall race winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Mark Cavendish of The United Kingdom and Astana Qazaqstan Team celebrates at podium as stage winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey celebrates at podium with his son Levom as overall winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey celebrates at podium as overall final race winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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Overall winner JumboVismas Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic C celebrates on the podium after winning the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race in Rome on May 28 2023 as secondplaced INEOS Grenadierss British rider Geraint Thomas L and thirdplaced UAE Team Emiratess Portuguese rider Joao Almeida look on Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Geraint Thomas of The United Kingdom and Team INEOS Grenadiers prior to the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 LR Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey and Geraint Thomas of The United Kingdom and Team INEOS Grenadiers prior to the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 LR Geraint Thomas of The United Kingdom and Team INEOS Grenadiers on second place race winner Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey and Joo Almeida of Portugal and UAE Team Emirates on third place pose on the podium ceremony after the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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INEOS Grenadierss British rider Geraint Thomas celebrates his second general place on the podium after the last stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 135 km in and around Rome on May 28 2023 Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Thomas Champion of France and Team Cofidis celebrates at podium as Breakaway Prize winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey celebrates with the Trofeo Senza Fine as final overall race winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Mark Cavendish of The United Kingdom and Astana Qazaqstan Team celebrates at podium as stage winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Primo Rogli of Slovenia and Team JumboVisma Pink Leader Jersey celebrates at podium with the Trofeo Senza Fine as final overall race winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Thibaut Pinot of France and Team Groupama FDJ Blue Mountain Jersey celebrates at podium during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Jonathan Milan of Italy and Team Bahrain Victorious Purple Points Jersey celebrates at podium during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Richard Plugge CEO JumboVisma Primo Rogli of Slovenia Pink Leader Jersey Edoardo Affini of Italy Koen Bouwman of The Netherlands Rohan Dennis of Australia Thomas Gloag of The United Kingdom Michel Hessmann of Germany Sepp Kuss of The United States Sam Oomen of The Netherlands and Team JumboVisma celebrate at podium during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
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ROME ITALY MAY 28 Derek Gee of Canada and Team Israel Premier Tech celebrates at podium as Most Combative Prize winner during the 106th Giro dItalia 2023 Stage 21 a 126km stage from Rome to Rome UCIWT on May 28 2023 in Rome Italy Photo by Stuart FranklinGetty Images
Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) captured his first-ever overall victory in the Giro d’Italia on Sunday, while Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan), riding his last-ever Giro, soared to a remarkable triumph in the race's final bunch sprint.
Cavendish powered past rival Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) for a comfortable win ahead of Alex Kirsch (Trek-Segafredo) at the end of the final, mostly ceremonial, 126-kilometre stage through the streets of Rome.
This is Roglič’s fourth Grand Tour outright victory after the 33-year-old Slovenian won the Vuelta a España three times. He also took second overall in the 2020 Tour de France and third in the Giro d’Italia back in 2019.
In the race’s other individual classifications, the mountain ranking was claimed by Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) won the points, and João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) claimed the Best Young Rider’s title.
Third in the 2019 Giro d’Italia and only ever certain of victory in the 2023 race after he demolished the field and took the lead in the stage 20 time trial, Roglič said he was delighted to have finally conquered his first-ever Italian Grand Tour.
“Every win is special, and I'm just grateful to be able to achieve this one,” he said, “and it'll stay in my memories for the rest of my life.
"I'm enjoying the moment, I'm trying to enjoy all these emotions and everything that happened yesterday [Saturday]. It's always nice to win in this spectacular city, it's super beautiful."
Just moments before, Cavendish had claimed his 17th Giro win and first victory since the British National Championships last summer, giving him both a hugely prestigious triumph in the Italian capital and simultaneously setting him up perfectly for his bid for a record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage this summer.
"My first Grand Tour victory was in 2008 in the Giro, down in Reggio Calabria. To win here in Rome - it's beautiful," he said.
"It was a long hard slog to get here to the end of the Giro, but we've come close a couple of times before.
"This is a bucket list win to get, outside the Colosseum. I'm so happy, so happy."
How it unfolded
The opening phases of the final stage saw the usual two-wheeled last-day celebrations take precedence on any attempts at breakaways, as Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) and his teammates poised for on-bike photographs and accepted the congratulations from their rivals for his imminent victory.
It was only when the race returned to Rome with around 60 kilometres to go that three riders, led by Maxime Bouet (Arkea-Samsic), made a bid for breakaway glory. Poland’s Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Tom Skujins (Trek-Segafredo) opened up a gap of around 40 seconds halfway through the six laps of the 13.6-kilometre final circuit.
But sparked by the size of their advantage, Movistar, DSM, Bora-Hansgrohe and Astana Qazaqstan, all with money in the game for a bunch sprint, quickly began the chase in earnest behind.
The peloton was only interested in reeling in the three breakaways slowly, though, on a tough, very technical circuit. It was not until 12.5 kilometres to go that the three were reeled in.
After multiple breakaway efforts during the Giro, Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) made one last-ditch bid to claim a win, only for Movistar to up the pace behind and Cavendish’s friend and former teammate Geraint Thomas to make a major effort to keep things under control.
Cavendish then timed his final acceleration perfectly after Gaviria blasted away up the right-hand side of the finishing straight very early on. Having made his move just fractions of a second later, the Manxman powered past the Colombian and soared across the line with more than two bike lengths to spare.
Cavendish can now head towards the final build-up for the Tour de France with his first win of the season in the bag and a huge confidence boost, while Roglič celebrates Slovenia’s first-ever win in the Giro d’Italia and his fourth Grand Tour victory in five years.
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