The Giro d’Italia 2017 is remembered not only for being the 100th edition of the Corsa Rosa but also as one of the most balanced and wide-open races all the way to the final meter. The Pordenone – Asiago stage, 190 km long, was the penultimate day before the final time trial in Milan. Nairo Quintana wore the Maglia Rosa, but was in the unusual position of needing to attack, with just a few seconds separating him from Tom Dumoulin, a formidable time trial specialist.

The Dutchman had been the standout of that Giro, with two stage wins and nine days in Maglia Rosa, until he hit trouble in the final week – including the now-famous bathroom emergency on the Umbrail Pass, and a slight crack on the climb to Piancavallo. His final big test came in the Asiago stage, which featured the demanding ascent of Monte Grappa.

Perhaps the main contenders made a tactical error by not attacking earlier on the mighty Monte Grappa, instead waiting for the final climb toward the Asiago Plateau, hoping that the “Butterfly of Maastricht” would show signs of the same struggles from the day before. But Dumoulin held firm, limiting the damage well against the attacks from Vincenzo Nibali, Quintana, and Thibaut Pinot. In the end, he lost only 15 seconds. With energy reserves nearly depleted, no one could make a real difference – an ongoing theme of that year’s Giro – and the Asiago stage came down to a sprint among five riders. Pinot edged out Ilnur Zakarin, Nibali, Domenico Pozzovivo, and Quintana to claim his first and only Giro stage win. It wasn’t enough, however, to earn him a spot on the final podium in Milan.

The final time trial would begin with six riders separated by just 1 minute and 30 seconds, but in the end, it was Dumoulin who celebrated, as expected, putting significant time into all his rivals and winning the Giro by 31 seconds over Quintana, 40 seconds over Nibali, and 1’17” over Pinot.