On October 25, 2020, Tao Geoghegan Hart and Jai Hindley started the last time trial of the Giro, in the final stage, with the same time. The never seen. After 20 stages, just 15 km against the clock would decide the champion in Milan on strange dates for the Italian round due to the pandemic. The title was taken by Tao, the Briton from Ineos who was the strongest in a race with many casualties, but that does not detract from his conquest. Since then, he had barely had a presence on big dates. In 2021 he went to the Tour, hardly being seen, and in 2022 he also participated in La Vuelta, with a 19th place overall.
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However, this 2023 started differently, with a great version (still only 27 years old) and in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana he was letting himself be seen… until in the fourth stage he was able to raise his arms. At the Alto de la Cueva Santa he was the strongest ahead of his compatriot Gloag (Jumbo, a 21-year-old runner to watch) and the Italian Ciccone (Trek), who remains in front of the general classification. For Tao it is the sixth victory of his career, the first that is not on Italian soil. “In recent years, between illnesses and bad spells, I have not felt well,” highlighted the Londoner after his success this Saturday. A breakaway of 17 runners came to be, and the fact is that the terrain was good for it: five ascents, mixed from the third and second category, including the finish line. Despite this, Ineos and Bahrain controlled the situation, especially the latter, because the Dutchman Arensman, from the British team, He came to have a nice solo fight with the group of favourites, but seven kilometers from the end his adventure ended.
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In this way, the final climb was reached with the favorites together, and with Carlos Rodríguez sacrificing himself for his partner Tao. It worked out for them. In a goal located in a roundabout, Arriving in a good position at the final turn was key, and the Briton was the best in that. In the second stage (he finished second) he was relegated to ninth for moving in the sprint, and that ultimately took away an important six bonus seconds. Now, he is four behind the leader Ciccone. Landa and Bilbao entered 5th and 6th, with the latter placing third overall, although everything is in a handkerchief for the final stage. La Volta will end this Sunday at the Oceanografic in Valencia. Before, 40 km from the finish line, the climb to La Frontera (5.2 km at 9%), It will mark a good part of a race that will be resolved by seconds.