The Giro d’Italia has always enticed the best climbers in the peloton. Every year, the course is reliably lined with dramatic and explosive mountain stages. While the Giro is a playground for the riders who appreciate steep unrelenting slopes, it is not a particularly welcoming race for sprinters.

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On paper, the lineup of sprinters to contest the 2018 Giro d’Italia appeared to be quite weak. Elia Viviani was the biggest name on the startlist, but at that point he had only one grand tour stage victory on his palmares, from the Giro three years prior.

What emerged throughout the 2018 Giro was the coming of age of two of the world’s top sprinters. Elia Viviana and Sam Bennett battled with each other for stage honors from stage two to stage 21, kickstarting new chapters in their careers. 

Stage 2

Elia Viviani started the 2018 Giro d’Italia with intent. He won the first sprint stage in Tel Aviv by well over a bike length. Viviani would take the points jersey after this stage and hold onto it for the remainder of the race.

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Stage 3

The final stage on Israeli soil featured another fast sprint finish. On the heels of his third place finish the previous day, Sam Bennett charged toward the line with bolstered confidence in the final 300 meters. Viviani however timed the sprint to perfection jumping off Sam Bennett’s wheel with 100 meters to go. Sam Bennett takes Viviani all the way to the barriers, but the Italian was not to be denied, squeezing through the gap and taking back to back victories. At this point in the race, Viviani looked to be untouchable.

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Stage 7

Stage 7 is when it all came together for Sam Bennett. The final kilometer showed not only Bennett’s improved patience, but his ability to hold his ground in aggressive high speed fights for position. The latter is an asset which Bennett continues to use to great effect. Viviani: 2, Bennett: 1.

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Stage 12

Any patience Sam Bennett may have developed in the early stages of the Giro was not needed on stage 12. In a reduced bunch sprint on the Imola race track, Sam Bennett blasted away with over 300 meters to go. Bennett’s explosive acceleration opened up a gap, the size of which is almost never seen in sprints. Bennett crossed the line with plenty of time to celebrate. 

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Stage 21

By the time the peloton arrived in Rome, Viviani had won two more stages, bringing his tally to four victories. Both Bennett and Viviani had exceeded expectations throughout the tour, but both sprinters remained desperately hungry to stand on top of the podium on the final stage. Bennett’s BORA-hansgrohe team was in control with two kilometers remaining, but Quick-Step took over with one kilometer to go.

A heroic effort by Matej Mohoric with 800 meters to go brought Nicolo Bonifazio to the front of affairs, but his efforts were in vain as Viviani and Bennett boxed the Italian back down the pecking order.

Viviani proved to be no match for Bennett on the rough cobbled finishing stretch, conceding victory with his head down in the final meters.

While Bennett won the final battle, Viviani took home the maglia ciclamino and both sprinters left the Giro solidifying themselves as grand tour sprinting stars.

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