Maglia Lazio 40950

won the final stage of his last Giro d’Italia to spark emotional scenes in Rome, as Primoz Roglic confirmed his overall victory.

Cavendish, who has announced that this season will be his last, made it look easy as he opened up several bike lengths over Alex Kirsch and Fernando Gaviria, before a crash on the final approach split the bunch.

It was a 17th career Giro stage win for the 38-year-old Manxman, who kept alive his record of winning at least one stage every time he has taken part in the Italian Grand Tour.

It was also Cavendish’s first win of the season and first with the Astana-Qazaqstan team, a timely confidence boost as he now turns his attentions to the and his bid to take the stage win record there.

Astana may not have the greatest sprint pedigree, but that hardly mattered when he had Geraint Thomas — who lost the pink jersey to Roglic on Saturday’s time trial —lending a hand, arsenal drakt the Ineos Grenadiers rider offering a lead-out going into the final 2km.

The oldest ever stage winner in Giro history was a hugely popular one and Roglic and Thomas were quick to offer congratulations.

Slovenian Roglic, 33, took the overall win by 14 seconds from Thomas, the fourth smallest margin of victory in Giro history.

Cavendish claimed the 54th Grand Tour stage win of his career – and he had Thomas to thank for it.

The pair were together at Team Sky more than a decade ago and have also been teammates for years with Britain at the world championships.

‘I kind of said jokingly, `Fancy leading out? » Cavendish said. ‘(Thomas) just shouted, ‘Cav,’ and just went.
He’s so special. For 25 years he’s been one of my best friends.

‘To see how optimistic he is despite losing the maglia rosa. That’s him down to a ‘T.’ It’s how he’s always been, he always sees the glass half full. That’s why he’s special.

More than any bike rider, he’s a good person, good friend, good team-mate.’

Cavendish’ started his sprint early enough that he was ahead of a crash in the final straight involving several riders.

‘Well, if I couldn’t win, I thought I might as well try and help an old mate out,’ Thomas tweeted, ‘Call it an early retirement pressie.’