With the grip of Simon Yates, the Giro d’Italia ends in the spirit of this edition: with a thunderous surprise

Stage 15: Fiume Veneto-asiago

The heavy climbing work started in this Giro unusually late: it was only in the last week that really heavy mountain stages were on the program. The first of that series, on Sunday 25 May on the heavy Monte Grappa in the Veneto region, immediately exposed the tactical inability of the UAE team in a painful way. Although del Toro had been driving in the pink sweater for a week, and Ayuso turned out to be less strong than expected, the team management refused to make a clear choice for Del Toro as a leader: there has been gambling on both riders all the time.

That two -legged attitude led to absurd scenes that Sunday on the Monte Grappa. When Del Toro drove away in an escape with Richard Carapaz and Egan Bernal (another former winner), the rest of his team started the chase-to protect the position of Ayuso. Behind the backs of the UAE riders, other classification riders laughed with it: no time lost, little energy wasted.

Among those smiling third parties was a rider who until then had unobtrusively raced but in silence had ended up in place: Simon Yates, leader of the Dutch Fish-Lease a Bike formation.

Stage 16: Piazzola Sul Brenta-San Valentino

At the start of the third week, UAE finally made a choice: Del Toro, not Ayuso, was the leader, the team management said during a press conference on the last day of rest.

The next day, Tuesday 26 May, it was also immediately with Ayuso: during the next mountain stage, in the Dolomites near Lake Garda, the former leader completely collapsed And lost almost fifteen minutes. The next day he would get off, with an eye that was almost completely closed due to a bee sting.

Del Toro also got this stage in trouble – for the first time since he took the lead in this Giro. On the final climb to San Valentino he had to fit a Demarrage by Richard Carapaz, who moved in the general classification to place three – just 31 seconds from Del Toro. The Ecuadorian rider, winner of the Giro in 2019, but in recent years no protagonist in large rounds, suddenly became the other big favorite for the overall victory.

As close as the top three was together, so small after stage 16 the differences in the rest of the rankings were also: the number five was at 2:40 of del Toro; Number ten Adam Yates (the twin brother of Simon) at 5:08. For comparison: last year, rosette rider Tadej Pogacar had a lead of 7:18 after the sixteenth stage alone on the number two.

With two mountain rides to go, everything was possible in this Giro.

Pope Leo XIV gives a speech, Sunday in Rome, surrounded by the outpiders of this edition of the Giro. From left to right: Mads Pedersen, Isaac del Toro, Simon Yates and Lorenzo Fortunato. Photo AFP

Stage 20: Verrès-Sestrière

The decision had to fall on Saturday 31 May. Who was going to win the Giro this year? The great discovery del Toro? Or the shark, eleven years older Crack Carapaz?

The Colle Delle Finestre, the Cima Coppi (highest climb) of this Giro was on the program: 18 kilometers long, 2,200 meters high, an average of 9.1 percent, and also the last eight kilometers unpaved. For Simon Yates, number three in the general classification on Saturday morning, this mountain was the backdrop for a large trauma: during the Giro of 2018 he got a huge slump here after two weeks in the pink sweater – and lost.

Yates had been driving anonymously in Italy for almost three weeks. He did not make a very cheerful impression, he reluctantly spoke to journalists. He didn’t seem to go very well with Visma-Lease A Bike, the Dutch team for which he has been driving since this season. After Friday’s stage, he had answered irritated, irritated irritated: « No, rather the opposite. »

But yes, he was third.

In the first kilometer of the Colle Delle Finestre, Carapaz immediately opens the attack. Del Toro jumps into his wheel, they drive away together. A little later Yates connects. He even jumps away. And once again. And once again. He has a gap in the fourth attack. Behind him look del Toro and Carapaz at each other. Yates has twenty seconds. Who is going to get it?

Yates drives on, the hole gets bigger. Nor Carapaz nor Carapaz wants to lead the chase – the other person plays that in the card. They fall silent. The lead of Yates is getting bigger and bigger. Forty seconds. One minute. One minute twenty. Del Toro and Carapaz are still looking at each other. Yates number two Carapaz is over seven kilometers before the top in the rankings. Moments later he drives virtually in pink.

At the top of the Finestre, Yates has twenty seconds on del Toro – a minimal lead. But a few kilometers away, Wout van Aert, his teammate, who joined a big escape earlier that day. Together they dive into the descent, then he keeps Yates out of the wind on his way to the final climb. With the tactical plan of Visma, things are going well.

In the climb to Sestrière, Carapaz tries to attack a few more times, but it’s too late. Del Toro, who has defended his pink sweater with fire for two weeks, does nothing. Can he not be faster? Is he not allowed by the team management? It remains unclear.

At the arrival in Sestrière, Yates has more than five minutes ahead of del Toro and Carapaz. He is going to win the Giro – the final ride in Rome on Sunday is a formality.

Del Toro knows not to give himself an attitude after the finish. He tries to pretend to be happy with his second place. It doesn’t look completely convincing.

Carapaz is angry. « Del Toro does not know how to race in the right way, » he says in the camera.

And Yates? It shed tears of joy.

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