Giro d'Italia 2024 Stage 20

May 25, 2024 A double ascent of the Monte Grappa makes up for nearly all of the 4,200M of altitude meters gained and will give the GC riders one final chance to improve their position. Stefano Allocchio dropped the flag in the pouring rain, triggering the first attacks. Davide Ballerini of Astana and Lorenzo Germani of Groupama-FDJ were the first two to get away but it didn't calm in the peloton. 15KM later, a group of nine got away just before the steep fourth category climb. UAE shut down the peloton, allowing the break to get established. Jimmy Janssens and Nicola Conci of Alpecin-Deceuninck, Henok Mulubrhan of Astana, Rubén Fernández of Cofidis, Andrea Vendrame of Decathlon AG2R, Edward Theuns of Lidl-Trek, Pelayo Sánchez of Movistar, Andrea Pietrobon of Polti-Kometa and Alessandro Tonelli of Bardiani CSF-Faizanè caught the leading pair at 142KM to go and tried to build their lead before Monte Grappa. The sun came out as did the crowds for the riders as they hit the Monte Grappa for the first time with a lead of 3 minutes 45 seconds and 96KM to go. UAE set a very hard pace in the peloton right from the bottom with Mikkel Bjerg and Vegard Stake Laengen. The break split up completely with still 6KM to climb. Sánchez, Tonelli, and Janssens were the last of the original break. Giulio Pellizzari of Bardiani CSF-Faizanè attacked out of the peloton, bridged to the break to make four at the front, and took the Mountains points at the top. With the points, it moved him to second place in the Mountains Classification but mathematically not able to take the lead given the points remaining. The reduced peloton came over the top just 1 minute back with about 25 riders left. On the descent, Janssens was distanced but Tonelli pulled hard and got their advantage up to 2 minutes 37 seconds by the start of the second ascent of Monte Grappa. Sánchez dropped 2KM into the climb, leaving just Pellizzari to fight off the peloton. Pellizzari held 90 seconds with 8KM to climb but Rafal Majka ramped the pace in the peloton and split the group down to only the handful that could follow. Tadej Pogačar attacked for one last time in this Giro with 5.4KM to climb and 1 minute to close to Pellizari. Pellizari was caught about 1KM later and tried to cling to Pogačar as long as he could. Behind, Antonio Tiberi of Bahrain-Victorious, Dani Martinez of Bora-Hansgrohe and Einer Rubio of Movistar formed a chase group working to put distance on Geraint Thomas of Ineos and Ben O'Connor of Decathlon AG2R in hopes to move up in GC. Up front, Pellizzari dropped away at 3.4KM from the top and was 2 minutes behind by the time Pogačar started the descent. Pellizzari was joined by the Martinez group for the downhill run to the finish. Thomas and O'Connor were 10 seconds behind the Martinez group when they started the downhill with O'Connor's teammate Valentin Paret-Peintre setting a good pace. Thomas, O'Connor, Paret-Peintre, and Pellizzari caught the Martinez group with 11KM to go. Pogačar crossed the line in Bassano del Grappa for his sixth stage win, 2 minutes and 7 seconds ahead of Paret-Peintre and Martinez who led the chase group in for second and third.