The epic battle for the 2023 Giro d'Italia: Stunning images of the final weekend

Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) has been on the receiving end of a devastating defeat at the hands of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in the 2020 Tour de France so he knows exactly how Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) felt on Saturday.

In that fateful year at the Tour, Roglič went into the final time trial with a 57-second lead over his much younger rival and lost more than twice as much on La Planche des Belles Filles.

So, when Roglič came into the Giro d'Italia's critical final mountain stages at Tre Cime di Lavaredo trailing Thomas by just 29 seconds there was every chance he would be on the delivering end of that sporting agony.

After matching each other on the steep final kilometres of the Dolomite ascent, Roglič sprinted to the line and gained a slim three seconds but it was the first signs that Thomas' flawless Giro facade might be starting to crack.

Amid the battle for the general classification was an equally scintillating breakaway showdown, with the race's most attacking rider, Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) launching first only to be passed and dropped by Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) for the stage win.

The spectators only had to wait a couple minutes to see the Ineos rider in the maglia rosa outsprinted by his Jumbo-Visma rival on the line. The gap at the finish meant the riders would go into the uphill time trial separated by only 26 seconds.

Stage 19 - Chipping away on Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Stage 20 - The turnaround

The paths to Monte Lussari had never been used in the Giro d'Italia before, and were deemed to be too steep and too narrow for teams to follow riders with cars as is traditional. The stage was the subject of intense negotiation between teams and race organisers - it was a day far too critical to leave to chance and new procedures.

The race settled on a compromise - riders were allowed a zone to swap bikes and mechanics would hop onto a motorcycle carrying a spare bike for their rider.

On race day the weather, which had been atrocious for most of the Giro, turned into a sunny, warm and perfect day for the moment of truth where the general classification would be decided.

For the overall contenders, the only incidents were Roglič dropping his chain just as his gap to Thomas started to turn the tide of the GC. A collective gasp went up across the cycling world as Roglič stepped off and his mechanic struggled to deliver the replacement bike on the ridiculously steep gradient.

Getting his chain back into position, Roglič remounted smoothly and was given a push by the mechanic and, it just so happens, a former ski jumping teammate Mitja Mežnar. As calm as the Slovenian seemed, at the finish line, his teammates were in varying states of disbelief, despair and despondence.

But the Ineos camp soon took on those emotions and Jumbo-Visma's shifted to glee as Roglič did the unthinkable - in just 2.5km he hammered up the mountain, won the stage, put 40 seconds into Thomas and the Giro d'Italia was his.

Stage 21 - When in Rome

After riders and team staff completed the long transfer to Rome for the final stage, there was an air of relief and celebration. The peloton passed by the most iconic places in the city.

The competition grew more intense as the stage went on, with Toms Skujins (Trek-Segafredo) clipping off the front to snatch the intermediate Sprint classification from Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech).

In the finale, Mark Cavendish was left with only one Astana teammate but Geraint Thomas came to his aid, gave a strong pull to keep Luis Léon Sanchez fresh for the finish.

The play worked and Cavendish claimed the stage win. It wasn't enough to dislodge Jonathan Milan from the points jersey. Milan's team Bahrain Victorious finished with all eight riders and won the teams classification.

Thibaut Pinot finished as winner of the mountains classification, João Almeida as best young rider, and of course, Roglič won the overall.