Welcome to live coverage of the last day of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, a 28km individual time trial around the streets of Milan that will decide the destiny of the maglia rosa.

Final GC top five: 1. Ryder Hesjedal, 2. Joaquim Rodriguez +16, 3. Thomas De Gendt +1:39, 4. Michele Scarponi 2:05, 5. Ivan Basso 3:44.

Stage result: 1. Pinotti 33:06, 2. Thomas +39, 3. Sergent +53.

Marco Pinotti won the stage ahead of Geraint Thomas and Jesse Sergent.

Hesjedal is being mobbed by the crowd. There's a Canadian flag there too - he's his nation's first ever Grand Tour winner. The Garmin-Barracuda rider wins the Giro by 16 seconds.

Joaquim Rodriguez gave it his all but it's not enough: the Spaniard crosses the line in a time of 35:02, 1:56 down on Pinotti.

Ryder Hesjedal powers towards the finish line and the pink jersey: it's the sixth best time, 1:06 down on Pinotti. Canada's first ever Grand Tour win.

The crowds roar as Scarponi comes home in a time of 35:00 - it's not enough for the podium. De Gendt has risen above him.

Just three left now, with Scarponi, Hesjedal and Rodriguez all fighting hard.

Thomas De Gendt crosses the finish line to take the fourth best time, 1:01 down on Pinotti. It will be enough for the podium - unless Scarponi pulls it out of a bag.

Basso finishes 2:04 down in 24th place - and that will be enough to conserve his fifth place from Cunego.

De Gendt is going really strong - he was fourth fastest at the second check, 42 seconds down on Pinotti - so on course for the podium after Scarponi was 1:15 down at the same check.

Rodriguez comes through the second check and he's 1:27 down on Pinotti in 26th. Unless Hesjedal crashed or punctures, Rodriguez will lose the pink jersey.

Live timing gives Hesjedal a 40 second lead over Rodriguez at the moment - which puts him in pink. The Canadian crosses teh second check 43 seconds down on Pinotti in fourth place.

Both Hesjedal and Rodriguez are really pushing themselves - both riders almost crash into barriers afetr overcooking turns.

Incredible scences here: it looks like Hesjedal will do it, just like Cadel Evans overturned Andy Schleck in the Tour, the Canadian is about to turn over Rodriguez.

Basso is approaching the second check - and he's 1:33 down on Pinotti. So, the Italian will not pull off a miracle and ride onto the podium today.

Joaquim Rodriguez is the last rider through the first check at 11.7km. The Spaniard is 56 seconds down in 36th place. That's 29 seconds slower than Hesjedal - so Rodriguez only has two seconds over his rival now in the battle for pink.

Ryder Hesjedal comes through the first check at 27seconds down on Pinotti. That's fifth fastest and one second quicker than De Gendt. But how does it compare to the pink jersey? That's the big question...

Michele Scarponi is next through the first check. The defending champion comes through 39 seconds off the pace of Pinotti - that's 11 seconds slower than De Gendt. That means De Gendt needs another 17 seconds if he wants to move up into the podium... it's going to be tight.

Thomas De Gendt is 5th fastest at the first check, 28 seconds down on Pinotti's target time. That is a great time for the Belgian powerhouse.