Giro d'Italia 2013 Standings: Stage 20 Results, Leaderboard and Highlights

If Vincenzo Nibali didn't already have the 2013 Giro D'Italia championship locked up before today, he can now all but coast to a victory following Saturday's triumphant Stage 20.

The Astana cyclist climbed the event's most treacherous course, a trek all the way up to 7,550 feet above sea level in the Dolomites. He finished his day at the hallowed Tre Cime di Lavaredo, fighting through some of the worst conditions in the event's history.

Heavy snow and ice forced the cancellation of Friday's 19th stage, leaving Saturday as one last opportunity for the field to catch Nibali. However, an altered route lessened the difficulty of the Giro D'Italia's hardest climb—the riders went on a flatter route from Silandro to Tre Cime di Lavaredo—and Nibali took advantage as he scampered to a stage victory in 5:27:41.

The Giro D'Italia's Twitter feed sent out a picture of Nibali crossing the finish line through the inclement weather:

Colombia's Fabio Duarte finished second in the stage, 17 seconds behind the likely race champion. Duarte was one of three Colombian riders who finished within 21 seconds of Nibali on a day that saw conditions wipe out most of the Italian's top contenders.

Here's a look at the full results for the rest of Saturday's top-10 riders. 

Finish	Cyclist	Country	Time
1	Vincenzo Nibali	Italy	5:27:41
2	Fabio Duarte	Colombia	+ 0:17
3	Rigoberto Uran	Colombia	+ 0:19
4	Carlos Betancur	Colombia	+ 0:21
5	Fabio Aru	Italy	+ 0:44
6	Franco Pellizotti	Italy	+ 0:48
7	Domenico Pozzovivo	Italy	+ 0:54
8	Damiano Caruso	Italy	+ 0:58
9	Darwin Atapuma	Colombia	+ 1:00
10	Rafal Majka	Poland	+ 1:04

Having won the 18th stage time trial, it would have been easy for Nibali to rest on his laurels. He had opened up a massive lead prior to Saturday's running, one comfortable enough to make him the prohibitive favorite. When Friday's 19th stage was canceled, Nibali's positioning looked even better—leaving some to wonder whether he would be aggressive or lay back when trekking up the mountain. 

Instead, Nibali went on the offensive. He charged to the front of the pack with about two miles remaining in the stage, putting his nearest competitors on ice (almost literally) on his way to Tre Cime di Lavaredo. 

Rigoberto Uran and Cadel Evans both lost time to Nibali, who now holds a lead of four minutes and 53 second on the field. With wins in each of the past two stages, Nibali has a relatively flat ride to Brescia remaining and should breeze to the championship.

Here is a look at the increasingly spaced out top-five following Stage 20:

Finish	Cyclist	Country	Time
1	Vincenzo Nibali	Italy	79:23:19
2	Rigoberto Uran	Colombia	+ 4:43
3	Cadel Evans	Australia	+ 5:52
4	Michele Scarponi	Italy	+ 6:48
5	Carlos Betancur	Colombia	+ 7:28

Standings via the BBC.

Barring something catastrophic happening between now and Sunday, Nibali will walk away with the biggest win of his career. Nibali's most notable previous triumph came at the 2010 Vuelta a Espana.

But the 2013 cycling season has seen the 28-year-old ascend to the top of the sport. As cycling commentator Anthony McCrossan noted, Mark Cavendish and Nibali are separated by the thinnest of margins for the Maglia Rossa jersey: 

With an easy ride facing him in Stage 21, there is no hotter cyclist in the world than Nibali as he prepares for the Tour de France later this year. 

Stage 21 Preview

A relatively relaxing final stage is a staple of the cycling world, allowing the triumphant rider to celebrate his victory on a relatively breezy ride. The sipping of some bubbly has been a Tour de France tradition for years, and Nibali should face an easy enough ride if he wants to partake on Sunday.

The final stage of the Giro D'Italia is a 122-mile trek that starts in Riese Pio X and finishes in Brescia. This year is the first time the race's final stage has concluded in Brescia, as it beat out Vicenza in vying for the honor. Many saw the shift away from Milan as a shocker, with the traditional finish becoming synonymous with the race.

However, officials decided a change was necessary. 

The result for the riders is rather negligible. Riders will notice that there are very few twists and turns to this course and the ride is almost completely flat. They will see a slight uphill climb at Bosco Di Sona midway through and again at the two-thirds mark. 

Holding a lead of nearly five minutes means that none of this should be a problem for Nibali. His torrid finish to the Giro D'Italia proves that Nibali is firmly in his prime and not prone to any major fatigue that will hurt his chances. Look for Nibali to run a conservative race, hanging behind the main pack to avoid any accidents for drivers looking to aggressively move up. 

Though he might have hoped for better conditions, Nibali should be smiling all the way to the finish line to capture his first Giro D'Italia following Stage 21.