Refresh 2023-05-27T11:23:53.714Z Here's how things currently stand in the top five of the stage 20 rankings. But we have a long, long way to go yet: 1. Thibault Guernalec (Arkea-Samsic) 48:35 2. Steve Williams (Bahrain Victorious) at 1:41 3. Alex Kirsch (Trek-Segafredo) at 1:58 4. Filippo Fiorelli (Green Project-Bardiani) at 2:00 5. Jake Stewart (Groupama-FDJ) at 2:06 2023-05-27T11:14:08.132Z There's now a break in proceedings until the next block of riders starts off at 1350. So hopefully Arkea-Samsic racer Thibaut Guernalec, currently in the hot seat having clocked a time of 48:35, has brought a book or something to while away the time - he's going to have a long old wait until the next rider reaches the finish. 2023-05-27T11:10:19.999Z Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) crosses the line, the last of the first block of riders is now done and dusted. Big grins from German sprinter, high-fives with the crowd and smiles as he crosses the line, already victorious in one bunch sprint and looking for another tomorrow. 2023-05-27T10:55:32.161Z However that next best time for Kirsch goes up in smoke in no time at all, twice! First Steve Williams (Bahrain Victorious) goes 17 seconds faster and then just a few minutes later, Arkea-Samsic racer Thibaut Guernalec roars home with the first time under 50 minutes: 48:35. 2023-05-27T10:51:50.667Z We have a new race leader for stage 20: Alex Kirsch (Trek-Segafredo) clocks a time of 50:33, two seconds better than Filippo Fiorelli (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè). 2023-05-27T10:50:23.377Z Points leader Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) finishes in a time of 55:39, waving one arm to boost the crowds' applause. Well out of the running today, along with most of the sprinters who have finished in this first block of 45 riders, his last chance will come tomorrow in Rome. 2023-05-27T10:31:15.738Z But Dalla Valle's time does not stand for long: Filippo Fiorelli (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) blasts through the finish in 50:35, nearly five minutes faster. 2023-05-27T10:28:18.258Z And the first riders have finally reached the top, with Nicolas Dalla Valle clocking a fastest time of 55:03. 2023-05-27T10:26:50.316Z Our colleagues at sporza.be report that the intermediate time split at km 14.3 has been shifted a kilometre up the mountain to km 15.3, due to internet coverage issues. The fastest rider there is Alberto Torres (Movistar) with a time of 41:09. 2023-05-27T10:23:35.560Z While the first part of the Lussari course is very smooth and well surfaced, but early shots of the first riders on the second half, the climb itself, show a course widely described as a goat-track. However, 'large bovine-track', if such a term existed, would probably be more accurate: it's narrow for the most part, but certainly not overly so, and the surface looks mainly to be some kind of rough, often ridged, cement. Mainly densely wooded terrain, it's not packed with fans throughout, but a lot of those present are from Slovenia, which is only a few kilometre away as the crow flies. No prizes for guessing which GC rider they'll be rooting for today. 2023-05-27T10:10:02.351Z Here's a Tweet courtesy of the race organisation of an early starter doing a bike change prior to going up the Lussari. 🚴♂️Here is one of the key moments of today's time trial: the bike change 🔁.🚴♂️ Ecco uno dei momenti chiave della della cronometro di oggi. Il cambio bici 🔁#Giro #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/FtAAVfGDtH May 27, 2023 See more 2023-05-27T10:06:43.824Z Much has been made pre-stage of how this particular TT will, or will not, lay the ghosts to rest of Roglic's 2020 defeat on a very similar course in the second last day of the Tour de
France at La Planche des Belles Filles. The last rider to start as race leader, Roglic ended up losing the overall to compatriot Tadej Pogačar in one of the most memorable upsets in Grand Tours of recent years. Roglic was spotted on the course this morning, incidentally, doing a recon of the time trial which will decide if he can finally secure his fourth Grand Tour win of his career and first in a Giro d'Italia. 2023-05-27T10:01:48.149Z Back in the Giro, the key battle today will be for the GC and in particular the top three. Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) commands the overall ranking with a 26 -second advantage on closest pursuer Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and 59 seconds on Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates). The next closest rider, Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) is at 4:11, so the overall victory will almost certainly decided between Thomas, Roglic and Almeida. The million-dollar question is how much time can be won and lost on a course as challenging and unusual as this one, particularly when all three are such skilled time triallists. 2023-05-27T09:53:36.763Z It goes without saying that other major news is happening in the world of cycling right now outside the Giro, and here's our latest update on one of the biggest, courtesy of my colleague Kirsten Frattini, who spoke to the UCI president about their upcoming discussions on a key transgender policy. UCI to weigh if transgender policy guarantees fair competition 2023-05-27T09:47:16.160Z No following cars are allowed on the climb, instead they can only go as far as the bike swapover zone at the foot of the Lussari, after which riders will be followed by a mechanic on a motorbike with spare wheels. 2023-05-27T09:45:58.570Z The weather is sunny for now, by the way, but as the riders know to their cost, in this year's Giro, that's no guarantee it will continue that way throughout. 2023-05-27T09:45:00.265Z Checkpoints on the time trial are at kilometres 10.8km, 14.3 and 17.8. 2023-05-27T09:42:38.437Z This is what the riders face in the second half of the time trial. It kind of goes without saying that calculating your effort will be key. Profile of the Monte Lussari climb for stage 20 of the 2023 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: RCS Sport) 2023-05-27T09:39:12.476Z Much discussion too about exactly how the riders will tackle an 18 kilometre time trial which is so much a day of two parts, the pan flat approach to Monte Lussari and the jaw-droppingly difficult ascent that then follows. The riders will almost certainly all use a TT bike in the first half, then move onto a regular bike for the rest of the stage. Many of these regular bikes will have adapted for the forbidding uphill slopes of the Monte Lussari. The usual zone for riders to change their bikes at the foot of the climb is in place. 2023-05-27T09:34:37.857Z For those looking for an excellent in-depth preview of the whole day of racing and its implications for the Giro d'Italia, you need look no further than my colleague Barry Ryan's article here: Giro d'Italia goes down to the wire at Monte Lussari - stage 20 preview 2023-05-27T09:31:41.663Z Countdown chants from the crowd, then Dalla Valle rolls down the start ramp. Stage 20 is officially underway. 2023-05-27T09:26:55.660Z Given the logistical challenges of this particular time trial, which basically goes up the side of a house cunningly disguised as an Italian mountain, the TT has been split into three blocks, which that way will (hopefully) give the teams enough time to organise themselves. The first 45 riders start at 11.30 local time, then block 2 starts at 1350 and block 3, which is the one that logically contains the most interest GC-wise, at 1605. Gaps between all riders are a minute, barring the top 15 on GC, who have three minute gaps. 2023-05-27T09:22:43.789Z First man off in roughly 10 minutes time will be Nicolas Dalla Valle (Corratec - Selle Italia). The race leader Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) rolls down the start ramp at 1714 local time. 2023-05-27T09:19:36.266Z The current rankings of the overall classification looks like this: (Image credit: First Cycling) 2023-05-27T09:13:56.097Z This is the crunch stage of the 2023 Giro d'Italia. Come this evening, we'll know who's going to win overall and the shape of the GC will be decided. 2023-05-27T08:01:17.527Z Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 20 of the Giro d'Italia!