1st June – Stage 21: Rome – Rome
The final day of racing at the Giro d’Italia saw the usual processional start, albeit this time with a trip to the Vatican City and an audience with the pop, before the bunch made its way onto the circuit in Rome. Despite the best efforts from a determined break, they were reeled in by a chasing peloton where Team Picnic PostNL had contributed to a lot of the work.
It was a hectic sprint finale on the twisting and narrow roads, with the team ultimately unable to compete for a top result on the day. Nonetheless, the team came home safely so Max Poole secured an 11th spot on GC; and Team Picnic PostNL can look back on a good three weeks which included one stage win, podium places, several top ten stage results and that final GC placing.
Reflecting on the three weeks Poole said: “It seems like a long time ago since we started in Albania, but at the same time not that long ago. It’s been quite a fun Giro actually. I’ve had some ups and downs, some tough periods that I had to overcome but I’m happy to make it to Rome and we can look back on the race in a good way. Learning how I deal with the tough moments and realising that you’ll have them over the three weeks, that’s one of the main things I can take from this race. I’ve also learned a bit about myself and knowing that I can push through things. It’s been really special to be a part of Romain’s last Grand Tour; I’ve spent a lot of time with him this year. There’s not so much to say, he’s such a good guy off the bike and of course everyone knows him and what he’s done on the bike too during his career. It’s been really special to spend all this time with him.”