In modern cycling, so the thinking goes, a rider can no longer use races for training. On this Giro d’Italia, Tadej Pogačar has regularly appeared to defy that consensus. At times, like on Monte Grappa on Saturday afternoon, his race has felt very much like an extended training camp for the Tour de France.
The UAE Team Emirates rider had indicated beforehand that he was targeting victory on stage 20 in Bassano del Grappa, and so it proved. On this Giro, Pogačar has been able to win more or less how he pleases, and his decision to attack with a shade under 6km of Monte Grappa still remaining suggested that he had a very specific effort in mind for the last public workout of his Italian sojourn.
