Woods, Boivin and Tuft finish the 101st Giro d’Italia in Rome

The 2018 Giro d’Italia finished on Sunday with Sam Bennett taking the win after 10-laps in Rome, the fourth time that the Italian Grand Tour has concluded in the Eternal City. Bennett became the third rider to win three or more stages of the 101st Chris Froome hoisted the trophy, his third consecutive Grand Tour and sixth in total.

Sam Bennett wins in Rome! #giro101 pic.twitter.com/0n3hZNPRym

— inCycle (@inCycleTV) May 27, 2018

Completing the race with less fanfare were the three Canadians who were on the start line three weeks ago in Jerusalem: Michael Woods, Guillaume Boivin and, riding his final Corsa Rosa, Svein Tuft.

Woods was one of the riders touted as a pre-race favourite for the top-10 or even the podium. As his Sunday Instagram put it: “Wasn’t the Giro I wanted but it was the Giro I got.” Woods rose as high as 9th in the GC, but was stymied by a crash and chest infection midway through the race.

Woods decided not to follow wheels after that, but to try to light out for glory. He led the favourites group on Mount Zoncolan, taking the Strava KOM on the climb.

?? Michael Woods having a go on the slopes of Monte Zoncolan ?? #giro101 pic.twitter.com/OwvexTKZu1

— Canadian Cycling Mag (@CanadianCycling) May 19, 2018

The next day, he tried to bridge from the pink jersey peloton to the breakaway on the Passo Tre Croci. The efforts of both these moves were taxing and he lost time to the stage winners.

But Woods finished 19th, a better result than his 38th last year. Could he be tapped to do the Giro-Vuelta double again?

Boivin was very feisty in the Israel road stages, representing his Israel Cycling Academy in the breaks like no one else until Ben Hermans and Ruben Plaza began to flex in Italy. Boivin placed 11th on Stage 13 in Nervesa della Battaglia, his best WorldTour result since 9th in the twelfth stage of the 2014 Vuelta a España.

Boivin’s next race is the Hammer Series contest in Limburg on June 1.

As with his entire Mitchelton-Scott team, the 101st Giro will be a bittersweet one for Svein Tuft. Working at the front of the peloton day after day, Tuft helped his squad win five stages and hold the pink jersey for 2/3 of the race. But the dramatic collapse of not just one, but both of Mitchelton’s GC men will sour the whole affair.

Tuft completes his 11th Grand Tour and his seventh Giro. It’s unclear whether or not Tuft, in his final year as a professional, will be supporting Adam Yates at the Tour de France or Chaves and Simon at the Vuelta.

2018 Giro d’Italia Stage 21
1) Sam Bennett (Ireland/Bora-Hansgrohe)
2) Elia Viviani (Italy/Quick Step) s.t.
3) Jean-Pierre Drucker (Luxembourg/BMC) s.t.
17) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Israel Cycling Academy) s.t.
137) Svein Tuft (Canada/Mitchelton-Scott) s.t.
139) Michael Woods (Canada/EF-Drapac) s.t.

2018 Giro d’Italia Final GC
1) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) 89:02:39
2) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Sunweb) +0:46
3) Angel Lopez (Colombia/Astana) +4:57
4) Richard Carapaz (Ecuador/Movistar) +5:44
5) Domenico Pozzovivo (Italy/Bahrain-Merida) +8:03
6) Pello Bilbao (Spain/Astana) +11:50
7) Patrick Konrad (Austria/Bora-Hansgrohe) +13:01
8) George Bennett (New Zealand/LottoNL-Jumbo) +13:17
9) Sam Oomen (The Netherlands/Sunweb) +14:18
10) Davide Formolo (Italy/Bora-Hansgrohe) +15:16
19) Michael Woods (Canada/EF-Drapac) +1:01:24
117) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Israel Cycling Academy) 4:40:13
147) Svein Tuft (Canada/Mitchelton-Scott) 5:32:52