Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) said before the final stage of the Giro d'Italia that today was just another Sunday, but he knew that wasn't true. 10-mile time trials are something he's been used to since he was young, but this is the highest hurdle It was the first time.

Three weeks of racing on all terrains, in all conditions, in all situations, led to a stalemate between Geoghegan Hart and Jai Hindley (Sunweb), who entered the final day with identical times. Hindley had won the Maria Rosa by counting back decimal places in the first two time trials of the Giro, and now Geoghegan Hart was the leading candidate to take the Maria Rosa on the final day.

"I was going to treat every stage, every day of the week, every Sunday the same way," Hart said.

"It's like a strange dream. All day long I was focused on my stage and my performance. I just focused on doing my best and having a good TT. It all worked out in the end."

An unofficial time check two kilometers later showed Geoghegan Hart and Hindley still on the same time, but then the Briton slowly began to pull away from his rivals. Geoghegan Hart, who was running a heavier gear than Hindley, had a six-second gap at the 4 km mark, and by the only official check at the 10.3 km mark, the gap had increased to 22 seconds.

He eventually beat Hindley by 36 seconds to take the last and longest-lasting Maria Rosa of the most unusual Giro, which proved indecipherable for most of the three weeks.

"When Matteo Tosatto (Ineos Directeur Sportif) shouted 'don't take any risks' in the last kilometer, we knew we were in pretty good shape," said Geoghegan Hart. 'It's not often that DS tells you to slow down in a 15km TT. At that point we knew the job was done, so when we arrived at the Duomo in the center of Milan it was an incredible feeling."

Geoghan Hart started the race as part of Geraint Thomas' support group, but in the neutral zone of Enna on stage 3, Bidon flew into the path of the Welshman. This unfortunate flap was the beginning of a perfect storm that led Geoghan Hart to an unexpected Maria Rosa after stage wins in Piacavallo and Sestriere.

"I think in cycling you have to be adaptable and flexible because a lot of races are unexpected," Hart said. But this time, things took an incredible turn that no one could have imagined."

"When "G" crashed in Sicily that day, the team was in real trouble. We looked after him in the neutral zone and when he returned home it was really hard. We tried to reset and change our goals, but somehow this happened in this crazy world. I can't believe it, but I'm incredibly happy."

In addition to Geoghegan Hart's overall victory, his Ineos Grenadiers team took seven stage wins (one-third of the total). The exclusion of Chris Froome and Thomas from the Tour selection seemed to signal the end of an era in British cycling. Meanwhile, for Dave Brailsford's team, the medical tribunal of former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman in recent weeks has generated more column inches on home soil than the Giro.

"I don't think it's the end of an era. I don't think it's the end of an era because there are a lot of strong athletes in England and they are just as good as me. I'm proud to be part of it." "

Geoghegan Hart's growth owes as much to the work of Axel Merckx as to his national federation, of course. He famously spent another year with Merckx's Axeon development team before eventually joining Team Sky in 2017. On Sunday afternoon, as Matteo Tosatto's instructions crackled through his earphones, Merckx's advice echoed in the back of his mind.

"I was thinking about Axel the whole time in the time trial. 'He's going through a tough time right now looking for sponsors, but I have him to thank for that. He has always tried to instill patience in me."

Those qualities were also on display for Geoghegan Hart, who had to take his time during his tenure at Ineos to move up in a team full of stage racing talent. In the Giro, an unexpected opportunity presented itself, and he seized it well.

"I don't know and I don't care," he said. I'm going to enjoy this. I can't believe it. I'm going to be the same person I've always been, professional and dedicated.