Nairo Quintana of Movistar has won the 97th Giro D'Italia.
The Colombian, who said that he had been dreaming for years about winning a Grand Tour, went into the final stage with a lead of 3.07 to fellow countryman Rigoberto Uran on a stage which saw only 156 riders left in the race.
The pace on a 172km stage from Gemona del Friuli to Trieste on the Slovenian coast was slow with an average speed of 37kph and Quntana's Movistar team controlling the peloton.after Tuft and Tjallingii, who took the points on the one climb, which King Of The Mountains competition winner Julien Arredondo did not bother to contest, had been brought back following a short attack after 56 kilometres which lasted for seven kilometres.
At the halfway stage on a stage for the sprinters, the peloton was still altogether.
The only jersey which was still to be won was the red points competition and with fifty points available for the stage winner, FDJ Nacer Bouhanni who had 251 points and Trek Factory Racing's Giacomo Nizzolo who had 225 points had something to race for.
Svein Tuft, who was the first wearer of the maglia rosa attacked again, followed by Lars Bak of Lotto with 45kms and six laps of Trieste to go. A lead of forty seconds was soon built.
Lars Bak took the intermediate sprint points with 28.4kms to go with Bouhanni third to see him thirty eight points ahead.
Thirteen kilometres later and Arnoli, Pirrazzi and Carlos Quintero joined them for the final two laps with a lead of nine seconds.
They were caught with twelve kilometres to go and Dario Cataldo and Francesco Bongiorno were on the front as the speed ramped up
Team Sky's Phillip Deignan was on the front to lead the peloton over the line as the bell for the final lap sounded as dark clouds loomed over head.
It was dry at the finish however and Trek Factory Racing were on the front as Lotto's Adam Hansen, who was completing his eight successive Grand Tour.
Ben Hermans of BMC took over front running duties with 3km left but everyone was all over the road going into the final kilometre.Nacer Bouhani and a number of others went for the sprint and it was Giant Shimano's Luka Mezgec who won in 4.23.58 ahead of Nizzolo, Farrar and Bouhanni just before the rain came down.
Stage Winner Luka Mezgec said: "I was under pressure as there was a lot of Slovenians here today but it cannot be better than this. The climb was pretty close to the finish and we knew we had to stay close but I did it and I won. I stayed with it on the mountain stages of what is a long race and I put it all into today."
Nairo Quintana was over the line shortly after, to become the winner of 2014 Giro D'Italia and he said to Daniel Lloyd: "it is difficult to explain but there is so much happiness is inside me. "Thanks to my family, my team and the fans and i am so happy that I have won through."
General Classification - Nairo Quintana Movistar 88.14.31
2 Rigoberto Uran Omega Pharma - Quick-Step +2:58
3 Fabio Aru Astana +4:04
4 Pierre Rolland Team Europcar +5:46
5 Domenico Pozzovivo AG2R La Mondiale +6:41
Young Rider Classification - Nairo Quintana Movistar Team
2 Fabio Aru Astana
3 Rafal Majka Tinkoff-Saxo
4 Wilco Kelderman Belkin
5 Sebastian Henao Team Sky
King Of The Mountains - Julian Arredondo Trek Factory Racing 173 pts
2 Dario Cataldo Team Sky 132
3 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas Movistar Team 88
4 Tim Wellens Lotto Belisol 79
5 Robinson Chalapud Colombia 73
Points Jersey - Nacer Bouhanni FDJ.fr
2 Giacomo Nizzolo Trek Factory Racing
3 Elia Viviani Cannondale
4 Roberto Ferrari Lampre-Merida
5 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky