Egan Bernal closes in on Giro d'Italia title as Damiano Caruso wins Stage 20

Colombian retains two-minute lead going into Sunday's finale while Italian says he is 'happiest man in the world' following victory on home turf

Team Bahrain rider Damiano Caruso celebrates winning Stage 20 of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday, May 29. AFP

Italy's Damiano Caruso celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win Stage 20. AFP

Ineos Grenadiers rider and race leader Egan Bernal Gomez on the podium after Stage 20. Reuters

Spectators cheer on Damiano Caruso during the final ascent on Stage 20. AFP

The peloton rides across the San Bernardino pass in Switzerland during Stage 20. AFP

Team Ineos rider and race leader Egan Bernal in the pink jersey. AFP

Team Ineos rider and race leader Egan Bernal in the pink jersey. AFP

Spectators cheer breakaway riders Louis Vervaeke, Felix Grossschartner, Giovanni Visconti and and Vincenzo Albanese during Stage 20. AFP

The peloton during Stage 20. PA

Riders descend after crossing the Splugen Pass during Stage 20. AFP

The peloton coming down the San Bernardino pass. AFP

The peloton during Stage 20. PA

The peloton during Stage 20. PA

The penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia was won by Damiano Caruso on Saturday as Egan Bernal closed in on the overall title.

The Colombian retained a two-minute lead after Stage 20 and will go into Sunday's final day individual time-trial confident of adding this year's Giro to his 2019 Tour de France victory.

Bernal heads to Milan for the finale with an overall lead of 1minute, 59 seconds on Caruso with Yates third at 3min 23sec – the top three finished Stage 1's time-trial within six seconds of each other.

"I'm satisfied with the result. I think we managed the situation well. We have two minutes in advantage for tomorrow's time-trial. So are in a good position," Bernal said.

It was a day to remember for Italian rider, Caruso who earned a first Grand Tour win after a 163-kilometre ride from Valle Spluga to Alpe Motta.

The final climb up Alpe Motta saw Frenchman Roman Bardet and Caruso pull clear with five kilometres to go, with home favourite Caruso digging deep to claim a sixth win for Italy in this year's race.

"I thought about a thousand things in the last metres before the finish line, all my sacrifices, my training, and all the work done by my teammates," said an emotional Caruso, who tightened his grip on second place overall after finishing 24 seconds ahead of Bernal in second.

"We rode in an exemplary way today. Pello Bilbao, in particular, did an incredible job and he played a fundamental role in this victory. Today I realised a dream, I think I am the happiest man in the world."