Tom Pidcock (open in new tab) (Trinity Racing) won the final stage, Mortirolo, ahead of Belgian Henri Vandenaveer (Lotto Soudal U23) to take a dominant overall victory in the under-23 Giro d'Italia.

Pidcock took the leader's jersey with his stage 4 victory, and then went on to win the mountain stages, including Mortirolo on the final 8th stage. He took the overall win by 2:25 over Vandenaveer.

Italian riders rounded out the top five, with Kevin Colleoni (Viesse-Alvedi) third at 5:54, Giovanni Areotti (Friuli ASD) fourth at 6:34, and Filippo Conca (Viesse-Alvedi) fifth at 7:52.

Pidcock studied Mortirolo's video before the stage start and wisely allowed the Italian to attack on a steep early slope.

Pidcock was the first to pass the Marco Pantani monument and the first to cross the top of the 12km, 11% climb made famous by the Giro d'Italia. Pidcock and Vandenaveer descended to the Aprica finish, where Pidcock also won the sprint for his third stage win in eight days of racing.

Pidcock's dominance and broad bike skills drew comparisons to Eddy Merckx from the Italian media, but the pragmatic 21-year-old Yorkshireman brushed them off, as did the pressure of having to focus on the Grand Tour.

He has won the junior and under-23 editions of Paris-Roubaix and competes at the highest level during the cyclocross season. But like Wout Van Aert and Mathieu Van Der Pol, he rejects the common and often natural stereotypes of the cycling world.

"If you're going for the Tour de France one day, why should I tell you now?"

Pidcock finished third in the under-23 road race at the World Championships in Yorkshire last year and rode aggressively and confidently in the elite men's road race at the European Championships, won by Italian Giacomo Nizzolo.