On the scene at the Giro d’Italia, week 3

The Giro’s third week took place in my neck of the woods, northeastern Italy, and I was able to see three of the stages.

The stage 14 time trial finished in Desenzano del Garda, at the south end of Lake Garda. Filippo Ganna lunged for the line to set an early best time, and this time, it held, giving him the stage win. The Ineos riders’ helmets in this tt sported a new feature not seen at the Perugia tt a week earlier: black wings extending from the bottom of their visors.

Luke Plapp, fifth on the stage:

Ben O’Connor, seventh on the stage:

Geraint Thomas, fourth on the stage:

Dani Martinez, fourteenth on the stage:

Tadej Pogacar had to settle for second place on this day.

The rainy weather that forced the organizers to shorten stage 16 provided a dramatic finish at the top of the Monte Pana climb in Santa Cristina Val Gardena. Pogacar had enough of a gap to have a bit of fun in the finishing straight, counting off his five stage wins on his fingers.

Twenty-year-old Giulio Pellizzari held off Dani Martinez to take second on the stage.

Thymen Arensman:

Michael Storer and Ewen Costiou:

Geraint Thomas:

Rafal Majka:

Julian Alaphilippe:

Pogacar didn’t seem to be feeling the cold while riding the stage, but he had on a nice, warm-looking jacket on the podium.

Stage 20 finished in my town, Bassano del Grappa. It was, of course, another stunning victory by Pogacar, extending his overall lead to nearly ten minutes.

Valentin Paret-Peintre won the sprint for second place in a group containing the riders rounding out the top five in the GC.

Rafal Majka, super-domestique extraordinaire, was all smiles as he came into the finish with Damiano Caruso.

The grupetto, led by points jersey winner Jonathan Milan, finished nearly 44 minutes after Pogacar crossed the line.

Just a couple of Giro d’Italia winners, hanging out on the podium: