End of the Giro, unfortunately. End of a race that is much more than a journey through Italy, in the most beautiful country in the world... that would deserve the most beautiful race in the world... but that will have to wait for next time, perhaps in... Rating 6, for the effort, but cycling fans deserve something more: much more than a political 6. Especially because politics... never mind.

SOUDAL QUICK-STEP. 8. Fourteen top-ten finishes, three stage wins for Paul Magnier (today Davide Bramati, rating 9, and his entire staff were wearing these t-shirts) and a fourth victory that slipped away by nothing, since in Naples, where Davide Ballerini won, if there had been another fifty meters I don't know how it would have ended. Or rather, I do know, with ifs and buts...

DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM. 9. Felix Gall brings home a well-deserved honorable placement. He races in parallel with Jonas Vingegaard. More than parallel, he races in his slipstream: almost. Just behind. The first of the beaten. But to achieve this result he must fight like a lion and the Austrian does it brilliantly. Ten top-ten finishes, a fifth place in the special team classification. A race conduct worthy of a great team, but this is no longer a novelty, because they are now effectively a top-tier squad.

NSN CYCLING TEAM. 6.5. In the end the old Jan Hirt gets there, just steps away from the top ten. For the "never say never" team it's a far from bad result. They race a war of attrition and, in the end, they endure. Well done to our Pinarello: he shows himself, without being monstrous. Top-ten finishes? Eight.

LIDL-TREK. 6.5. In the end they patch things up a bit with Milan's sprint victory in Rome: sixteen top-ten finishes, a day in the pink jersey and an azure jersey brought to Rome with Giulio Ciccone. They started with very different objectives. They have to settle for a Derek Gee-West who finishes 5th: there's nothing to celebrate, but nothing to tear your hair out over either.

EF EDUCATION EASY-POST. 6.5. More than a Giro, a little tour. However, to keep up the habit they also bring home a stage, with Valgren: a great beautiful victory. Especially because 80% of the victories are won by Visma Lease a Bike, UAE and Astana. Winning among these giants is not a simple matter. They manage it. And it's a rarity.

TEAM POLTI VISIT MALTA. 7.5. They race one of their best Giros ever, competing not as a team that needs to show the jersey, but as a team that showcases talent. They come close to victory with Mirko Maestri in Milan, applause for Lonardi's second place in Rome, but Lorenzo Crescioli is one of the most beautiful faces of this Giro.

TEAM JAYCO ALULA. 5.5. Extremely unlucky because they immediately lose Ackermann and Vendrame, riders who could have brought real firepower. For the rest Ben O'Connor races in slow motion: he was supposed to be the classification man, he becomes the man waiting for classification.

XDS ASTANA TEAM. 8. Fifteen top-ten finishes, one of the most prolific teams overall. And three stage victories: with Silva, who also has the honor of wearing the first pink jersey for Uruguay. Then there's Davide Ballerini and Alberto Bettiol. Heavyweight victories, for a team that makes its weight felt.

TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM. 7.5. What does it mean to honor a race? To race like Matteo Tosatto's team. To move in a way that ensures you're always present. It's clear they make a virtue of necessity: with one man who knows his business and one who knows the future could be his. One is Storer, a guarantee, the other, Mathys Rondel, the future. Two sides of the same coin, which has a face and two hands: they don't tell the time, but they point to the objectives.

RED BULL BORA HANSGROHE. 7. For the team they are, perhaps they expected something different: I certainly did. We expected a lot from Giulio Pellizzari (too much? I don't think so: this is a guy who really has talent), but in the end they get a third place with Jay Hindley, who at the Giro signs yet another podium: his third. It's not the maximum, but in sport the first thing to learn is not how to win, but how to lose. It can happen: the important thing is to alternate defeats with some victories.

UNO X MOBILITY. 7. Many top-ten finishes (12), an infinite amount of work. A precious victory by Dversnes in Milan, many honorable placements with Leknessund who is missing only a victory.

UAE EMIRATES. 7.5. The beginning is forgettable, the ending needs reviewing, in the sense of fixing, fine-tuning. They immediately lose Adam Yates, Vine and Soler, to cheer themselves up they win four stages. One with Arrieta, three with Narvaez. The last week, however, is one of suffering. But before that they made everyone suffer.

UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS. 4. Eight top-ten finishes in three weeks, last place in the team classification: they didn't come here to win the Giro, but there was a middle ground.

BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER. 7. They work hard for three weeks and in their own small way, like Polti VisitMalta, they try to race for results and not just to be seen. A leap in quality and mentality: more than possession they thought about results, and it was a close call.

MOVISTAR TEAM. 6.5. In the end what was missing was someone who could translate all that work into victories. Max Sciandri's guys certainly didn't sit idle, they worked hard and plenty. Mas didn't show up, the others did what they could do. Milesi was excellent, he deserves a rating all his own: 8.

NETCOMPANY INEOS. 7. They are a team and as a team they bring home a result that's not to be thrown away. Arensman 4th, Bernal 10th. They collect 12 top-ten finishes and a stunning time trial stage victory at Massa with Filippo Ganna. They reach the foot of the podium, but they land on their feet.

BAHRAIN VICTORIUS. 8.5. Nine days in the pink jersey with Afonso Eulalio, who in the end, with heart and teeth, also defends the white jersey for best young rider and brings it to Rome. Eleven top-ten finishes, with a stage victory with Segaert. They are among the few who manage to win something despite those three giants out there. Eulalio 6th, Damiano Caruso 9th: two top-ten finishers for a team that doesn't get caught off guard. A note in the margin deserves to go to Caruso: his last Giro ride. A ninth place to say goodbye. The proof of nine for a man no longer young who has always honored his profession, done with passion. He retires in time, so as not to invite pity.

LOTTO INTERMARCHÈ. 5. They lose four riders, all of weight. In the end they collect only four top-ten finishes: a bit too few.

ALPECIN PREMIER TECH. 4. They immediately lose Groves, but then they can't find the thread of the story, a way to give meaning to their race. Maybe they don't even try, maybe it wasn't their priority.

TEAM PICNIC POSTNL. 4. Two top-ten finishes in three weeks: a picnic.

VISMA LEASE A BIKE. 10. Thirteen top-ten finishes, six stage victories: absolute level scoring average. Five victories with the "fishing king" and the other with Sepp Kuss. They dominate far and wide, with disarming certainty. They don't even need to pile on, they build the victory as it unfolds.

GROUPAMA – FDJ UNITED. 4. Four top-ten finishes: who saw them?

PINARELLO Q36.5. 6. Not particularly fortunate, since they lose four riders. Then they try to give meaning to their Italian campaign. They fight every single day and bring De la Cruz into the top 15: they deserved something more, but there's worse.