Pogacar wins Giro d'Italia on debut, as Merlier wins final stage

ROME :Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar emphatically won the Giro d'Italia on his debut when he retained his unassailable overall lead after Sunday's 21st and final stage in Rome, winning by the biggest overall margin since 1965.

The 25-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider had been in the leader's pink jersey since winning stage two, the first of his six stage successes, and finished Sunday's ceremonial 125-km flat run safely in the bunch as Tim Merlier won the stage.

Merlier (Soudal–Quick-Step) outsprinted Italy's Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) as the Belgian won his third stage. Milan had made his way back to the front for the bunch sprint after crashing on the last lap around the Eternal City.

Milan, winner of three stages, wins the points classification, ahead of Australian Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who finished third in the final stage.

Pogacar finished nine minutes and 56 seconds ahead of Colombia's Daniel Martinez (BORA-Hansgrohe), with last year's runner-up Geraint Thomas of Wales (Ineos Grenadiers) a further 28 seconds behind in third in the overall standings.

He adds the Giro title to his two Tour de France triumphs in 2020 and 2021, and did it in style, proving exactly why he had been the pre-race favourite as nobody came even close to challenging once Pogacar laid down an early marker on day two.

Last year's winner and fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic was absent from the race along with Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, but nothing can take away from Pogacar's domination in Italy, and he will now aim for the Tour de France.

Pogacar really took control on stage seven by winning the individual time trial ahead of Filippo Ganna, stretching his lead to over two and a half minutes, and followed that by winning the next stage.