Giro d’Italia Stage 21 LIVE - Milan looking to take a fourth stage in Rome, with Pogacar set to seal his first overall victory

1. Jonathan Milan - 362 points
2. Kaden Groves 225
3. Tim Merlier 193

Only one rider in it from day 1.

1. Tadej Pogacar 270 points
2. Giuliu Pellizzari 206
3. Georg Steinhauser 153

Strangely closer than it seemed for a while like it might have been.

1. Antonio Tiberi - 79'26'52
2. Thymen Arensman +1'42
3. Filippo Zana +11'10

1. Tadej Pogacar - 79'14'03
2. Dani Martinez - +9'56
3. Geraint Thomas +10'24

The biggest winning margin since, well, we're not quite sure. The most stage wins in pink since Merckx. That's the comparison we have no choice but to make.

Movistar and Visma led it out around the final bend, with Merlier hanging back, even beyond the wheel of Milan. On the cobbles the Belgian came around on the left and dashed to the front right, across everyone, with 150m to go. Milan had enough in him to jump on the wheel for a few moments, but by the time he came back out into the win the Soudal man had it sewn up. He was, simply, fastest.

STAGE TOP TEN

1. Tim Merlier 2'52'50
2. Jonathan Milan
3. Kaden Groves
4. Fernando Gaviria
5. Tim van Dijke
6. Stanislaw Aniolkowski
7. Alberto Dainese
8. Giovanni Lonardi
9. Caleb Ewan
10. Donavan Grondin

Molano is the first to thank him. He just didn't have the legs to truly contest the sprint.

TIM MERLIER WINS STAGE 21!

From Jonathan Milan in second, who shouldn't have been that close. Heroic from the home boy in his nation's capital, but it's three for Merlier.

It was the easiest of the lot for Merlier in the end, even as it looked closer than it was. It was chaotic and messy on the cobbles as lead-outs were for nothing but Merlier was never far off the front and opted for the open road. Milan looked to be coming up but the helicopter shot shows that it wasn't even close in the end.

2KM TO GO - POGACAR SHOULDN'T BE THERE

But he is, right at the front, for Juan Sebastian Molano. This is astonishing. And just as much is that Trek are hitting it now.

And being shepherded through it by Ghebreigzabhier then the rest of the squad. Surely he won't have the legs to sprint, let alone win? The GC riders are safe and sound now.

So the Tudor man at least seems to have saved his GC place. Mullen is burying himself.

And the race is on at close to 60kph. No chance, bar a miracle, that he wins this stage. Even if he can tag onto the bunch, he needs to be near the front of it, and with riders dropping off that's surely impossible.

9KM TO GO - MILAN WITH A MECHANICAL

Massive trouble as we cut to a shot of the maglia ciclamino standing by the side of the road waiting for his team car to bring him a new bike. It seems to take an age and it's hard to imagine he'll get back from there, with UAE taking it up.

With Soudal-Quickstep the token sprint team up there. For now. The final part of the course is far more twisty and technical than they would care for. The only place to be is at the top.

That crash seems to have alarmed a few of these guys. They still have to make it to the finish to receive their result..

He looks behind, sees the bunch, exchanges a few words with his allies. And that's that.

Michael Storer, one of them into the gutter, and he's set for a top ten GC finish. Panic stations, and an illustration of what can happen, even this late, on this stage.

The Rome native puts in a big effort to take a bit of time back, and adds a few seconds just as it all looked to be lost. 14 seconds they have now. It's not going to happen but maybe y'know, could it happen?

Quite the arena, which we don't usually see because the Rome circuit typically doesn't take it in. This loop which includes the aforementioned speed bump sweeps right by, and I'm glad it does. #History