Giro d'Italia 2023 Stage 21 LIVE - Pink, finally, for Primoz Roglic as Mark Cavendish looks to sign off Giro career with win

PRIMOZ ROGLIC: I ENJOYED THE MOMENT

"Definitely I enjoyed the moment, all the emotions with everything that happened yesterday. It's always nicer when you win but today I enjoyed all the energy, riding in this spectacular city, surrounded with all these things."

Y'know, just in case you were wondering.

GERAINT THOMAS ON PLAYING LEAD-OUT FOR CAVENDISH

"I made a prediction on Watts Occurring so I had to make it happen, you know? I saw they only had Luis Leon (Sanchez) with him, so I thought I'd help a brother out. It's been good, it's been emotional. It's been a great race, with an amazing team. I might be 37 but I feel at least 27."

Right on the barriers, and hopefully everyone involved is okay, but Cavendish was, for once, a long way safe.

He was in perfect position past the Colosseum, right on Milan's wheel. The Italian went right and the Manxman moved across to the slipstream of Fernando Gaviria and it was perfect because the Colombian went early, far too early, and gave Cavendish an armchair ride to 200m to go, when the elder statesman of sprinting went out on his own, riding into clear air for what felt like an age but with a huge gap to anyone else. It was over long before the line. Truly vintage Mark Cavendish.

The Welshman looks across to his friend and says "get on my wheel." Here we go.

The GC is safe. Here come Movistar, looking after Fernando Gaviria.

Why not, eh? An EOLO rider plays hitchhiker but it's the hailest of maries.

Tight rights and sharp lefts, over the bridge across the Tiber for one final time. The end is in sight. There is no tomorrow. The parties can almost begin. Cavendish fans, your boy is still very much up there.

The fight for position is now full on. Who will be fastest to the line?

Sorted out quickly but he's got to get back on with no buffer to eighth place. He jumps onto the bumper of his old team's car and should make it into the slipstream of the bunch. De Marchi has dropped back to help him. Mahyrhofer also experiences a problem and could be of no help to Dainese if he can't get right up to the top.

Past the Colosseum and under the flamme rouge marking one lap plus one to go. He gets across to the front three and we hear the bell. Can the EF rider possibly steal the stage from under the nose of the sprinters?? But it doesn't last long.

The three big sprinter teams as expected, with Jumbo Visma not far behind, protecting pink.

Less than twenty seconds the gap. They're riding their hearts out but it ain't gonna happen for them today. It's really speeding up and stringing out and causing bother for plenty of riders at the back.

Michael Matthews experienced a mechanical just now but it was luckily just before the race was on, so no drama. Coolly done and he was back in the bunch in no time. He said he can't beat Milan for pace, but the Australian has the best lead-out here, so that evens the playing field somewhat. Could yet happen...

So Eddie Dunbar can breathe easy, at least. Two laps left, all calms and comfy in the bunch.

Don't look now, but Skujins could be about to treat Derek Gee to another second place...

The Astana rider is some way off the back and has a fight on his hands to get back on, in no small part thanks to one of his team-mates who is on the front and setting a pretty furious pace.