Roglic needed 44:23 minutes for the 18.5 kilometers from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari at an altitude of 1,766 meters and was thus 40 seconds faster than the 37-year-old Welshman, who fell back to second place in the overall classification. Thomas went into the decisive mountain time trial with a lead of 26 seconds.
“It’s just amazing. The energy of the people here is amazing. I had the legs and the fans gave me an extra push. I flew and enjoyed it,” said a smiling stage winner, surrounded by the many Slovenian supporters lining the track had been carried.
Roglic could laugh again about his defect. “I lost the chain. Of course you don’t want something like that to happen, but I put it back on,” said the 33-year-old soberly.
Giro d’Italia
With a wheelie through the crowds: Rex delivers a show at the time trial
3 HOURS AGO
Roglic is now 14 seconds ahead of Thomas going into tomorrow’s final stage, which looks set to end in a bunch sprint in Rome, and is set to claim his first Tour of Italy triumph.
Third in the time trial, 42 seconds behind, was Portuguese Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), who also finished third overall, 1:15 minutes behind Roglic.
The German time trial champion Lennard Kämna (Bora – hansgrohe) finished 14th, 2:18 minutes behind the winner of the day and was pushed down from eighth to ninth place in the overall ranking by the Norwegian Andreas Leknessund (DSM).
Breakdown and hectic mechanic: Roglic almost loses Rosa here
Giro d’Italia
Giro start list for the mountain time trial: who starts the race and when?
5 HOURS AGO
Giro d’Italia
Three things that stood out: Kämna reaches the limit
ONE DAY AGO