Nico Denz
Nico Denz (Bora-Hansgrohe) has used the Giro to expand his image as a loyal and self-sacrificing helper. The 29-year-old is now also known as a specialist for breakaway victories. Even when there are a few mountains in the way. Denz has won two stages this year - only Remco Evenepoel has managed the same in this tour.
Denz relieved his team of the pressure to succeed, which meant that Lennard Kämna was also able to fight for the overall standings a little more freely, as he didn't have to worry about winning stages on top of everything else.
Mark Cavendish
The first two weeks of the Giro didn't really go smoothly for Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team). On the fifth stage, he literally crashed to the finish line in fourth place, while Pascal Ackermann's victory on day eleven was still good enough for third place. Cavendish then announced the end of his career on the second rest day. Suddenly the Briton, who had turned 38 the day before, rode free.
He smiled for the cameras, enjoyed the mountain time trial on the penultimate day up to Monte Lussari and clapped his hands with fans at the side of the road on his bike. And then he won the 21st stage. He proved to both himself and his critics that he still has something left in the tank - perhaps even enough to celebrate another victory at the Tour de France.
Derek Gee
Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) finished two stages in fourth place and four times in second place. The Canadian also finished second in the points and mountains classifications in Rome. All this in his first Grand Tour. And on top of that as a new pro at the age of 25. Gee, who put his bike away for two years to study but rediscovered his love of the sport, is the big surprise of the Giro - and a kind of tragic hero at the same time.
Before the tour, he did not appear at all in the international peloton. Now he was only missing nuances on several days. As the most combative rider with seven rides in the group of the day (stage 8, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19), he was still allowed to climb onto the podium in Rome, where he also tried again. Still an unfinished rider, the Canadian should soon realise his potential after his performance in Italy and make more headlines.
Lennard Kämna
In the end, he finished ninth overall. Certainly a little annoying, as Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) was a little further ahead for a long time. At least for the team, which ideally saw its co-captain and sole boss fighting for the places directly behind the podium after the retirement of Aleksandr Vlasov. Kämna himself, on the other hand, was content with a top 10 result from the outset.
And the 26-year-old has already said that he can imagine further grand tours focussing on the overall classification. Bora also wants to support this. The experiment can therefore be considered a success - and Kämna a winner.
Jonathan Milan
With his stage win on the second leg, Jonathan Milan (Bahrain-Victorious) wore the points leader's jersey - and didn't take it off again until Rome. The 22-year-old brought home a classification jersey from his very first Grand Tour. Not many people manage that. The young Italian had a lead of almost 100 points, although it should not be forgotten that some of his rivals did not reach Rome.
Nevertheless, Milan was the most consistent sprinter of the Giro. His victory was accompanied by four second places. And with a little more experience and better positioning in the finale, these could easily have been first places. Because Milan was regularly the rider with by far the highest final speed, although he mainly started his sprint in positions where other riders would not have been able to get involved.
Eddie Dunbar
He ran out of steam in the final metres, but seventh place in the final standings of the Giro d'Italia is also a good result for Eddie Dunbar and the Team Jayco-AlUla a great success that was not to be expected. The Irishman may have already won the Tour of Hungary and the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali last year, but the Giro and the competition in the Tour of Italy are a completely different kettle of fish.
Only the final time trial cost the 26-year-old, who was the biggest surprise in the top 10 of the overall standings, an even better result. Before that, the blue and white Jayco jersey was almost always on the side of Roglic, Joao Almeida and Geraint Thomas longer than any of the other riders. And yet Dunbar was inconspicuous, which was clever in this case.
Geraint Thomas
Before the Giro, not much was going well for Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), so there was little to suggest that the Welshman would come within a hair's breadth of the pink jersey and the title of oldest Giro winner in history after 21 stages. Without the cancellation of his compatriot Tao Geoghegan Hart, who had done much better in the preparatory races, Thomas would probably have finished the Giro as a noble helper at best.
But on the 11th stage, the sole leadership role at Ineos passed to the now 37-year-old, who, despite finishing third in the Tour de France the year before, hardly anyone would have expected such a performance. Especially as the competition seemed overpowering with the untouchable Roglic (and Remco Evenepoel) in the preparation. But Thomas was in top form, even attacked and took time off Roglic on the climbs. In the end, he was only undone by the extreme gradients on Monte Lussari, for which he was simply too heavy compared to the competition at 71 kilograms and 1.83 metres.
