Giro, at Sestriere Yates takes the decisive pink jersey

The craziest reversal on the penultimate stage. What nobody expected, after what had been seen in the last few days. Incredible ride, lap earthquake in the stage of the hill of the windows with the dirt road that reaches the sky. Del Toro in pink and his rival Carapaz cancel each other, incrediblely, when they both had the opportunity to conquer the lap. Simon Yates wears the pink jersey in Sestriere and tomorrow he will be in triumph at the Circus Maximus in Rome for the 108 edition of the Pink Race: the Dream of the British Vistma-Leasa in Bike who on these streets, in the Rosa jersey, in 2018, had been dirty with Chris Froome. At the start, Yates had 1’21 “from the pink shirt of the Toro: at the finish line of Sestriere Del Toro and Carapaz of 5’12” after a 42 km attack started on the hill of the windows. Now in the ranking Simon Yates has 3’56 “on Del Toro, 4’43” on Carapaz, 6’23 “on Gee, 7’32” on Caruso and 9’28 “on Pellizzari.

British of Bury, Adam’s twin, who ironically runs for Pogacar’s UAE and Taurus, Simon Yates is 32 years old. Professional since 2014, at the Giro he had impressed in 2018, with 3 stages won and 13 days in pink jersey; Then third in 2021 behind Bernal and Caruso. Fourth on the Tour 2023, Vuelta won in 2018 and the Tyrrhenian-Adriatic in 2020. With him the Giro changes the master to the penultimate stage for the eighth time: the last time in 2023 with the chronoscalata of Lussari. It was May 25, 2018 when Simon was defeated by Froome: today he arrived in the tears of joy and his hands to keep his head, incredulous for the ribaltone. After hugging a gigantic Wout Van Aert, decisive to dig the advantage downhill from the window and in the lines to Sestriere. The twentieth stage rewards the Australian Chris Harper, 30 years of Melbourne, who runs in the Jayco-Alula, second victory for the team after that of Plapp in Castelraimondo: also in this case with an escape started shortly after departure from Verres. According to Alessandro Verre at 1’49 “and third Simon Yates at 1’58”.

The key

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Yates attacks 14.7 km from the top of the Colle delle Finestre, and immediately after the GPM finds a gigantic Wout Van Aert. And this is a highway to the pink triumph, which the British ends in Sestriere after 42 km of its most beautiful escape. Because Del Toro and Carapaz fight in the race, do not deal with the agreement to chase Yates when he was still remotely. Because at the top on the windows Yates has 1’40, then 19 “of the margin, and there was all the time and kilometers to recover. Del Toro threw the tour because it was fixed only on Carapaz, the Ecuadorian underestimated Yates to treat only the Mexican, and five attacks were not enough in Carapaz on the window to detach it. Yates took advantage of it. resuming it because they had shown that they have uphill. Success of Yates.

Grand finale

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Tomorrow the 108th Giro d’Italia will end with the 21st stage, Rome-Rome, 143 kilometers. It is the third consecutive time that the pink race ends in the capital, never occurred before. And at 15.30 there will be the parade in the Vatican gardens with the greeting of Pope Leo XIV: the group will enter the Vatican from the Petriano door, will parade alongside the Santa Marta house, around the apse of San Pietro and the Sistine chapel, then cross the Vatican gardens until the Perugino door. Just exceeded, there will be the zero kilometer. At that point the actual stop will begin: 143 km, of which 67 in line to go and return from Ostia, then you will pass on the finish line next to the Circus Maximus to start the final circuit of 9.5 km to be repeated eight times. ATTENTION: the arrival line is 5%. And the final podium will have the Palatine and the Terme di Caracalla behind.

News

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At the top at the window, when 27.5 km away there are on the arrival, the British of the Vistma-Leas-Lease team in Bike is still a virtual pink jersey, with 19 “on the Taurus. 20 km from the finish, the descent has just begun, Yates hooks Van Aert, a start to flee in the morning. Van Aert, one of the greats of this generation, makes the lap win his partner Yates. Del Toro and Carapaz are studied And Yates lengthens: 1’52 “. 17 km from the arrival, Yates stretches again: 2’05 “, then 44” ahead of Del Toro. At 15 km, 2’10 “: Van Aert is decisive downhill. At the end of the descent, at 14 km, 2’13”, 2’21 “to minus 13, then 2’28”. Del Toro does not pull, high hands on the handlebar. The Mexican and the Ecuadorian are throwing the lap away, incredible. Del Toro asks for collaboration, but Carapaz says no. At 9 km Yates has 4’19 “: crazy.

First part windows

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The 18.5 km climb is faced by the 31 fugitives with 9’32 “on the group. Attacks Carapaz 16.5 km from the top of the windows, 2.43 pm. A shot that of Carapaz, in front of a fan who keeps the Mexican flag, and immediately of the wheel bull. The couple in command of the Giro. After a kilometer, Yates also comes out, while Bernali and Pellizzeri. It is back on Carapaz and Toro, we are in the woods. And he goes away.

Second part

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We are still in the asphalt section, it is the best Yates of this lap, has a ferocious expression, and on the run has Wout Van Aert, which could be decisive to guide it downhill from the window and in the final climb to Sestriere. He has 1’21 delaying from Del Toro. And Carapaz still starts again, and of the Taurus he still replies. Low hands, 2.57 pm, Carapaz has 10 meters, but Del Toro responds and always keeps calm. It does not lose concentration. In difficulty Bernal and Caruso. There are 10.5 km away at the top of the window. Impressive of the Toro, who at 21 years of age is perfectly managing the situation. He has no companions, not even on the run. A 32 -year -old Ecuadorian against the 21 -year -old Mexican shirt. Yates keeps 20 “on Toro-Carapaz and 41” on Gee. De Bondt, who runs for the Decathlon, puts himself in front of Carapaz and is the Gregary.

The dirt road

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The escapes, Harper and Verre, attack the last 7.8 of the window, dirt roads, enter first with 54 “on Verona and Garofoli. He always pulls Carapaz, of the bull always on the wheel. There are 8.5 km away to the top of the window for the pink group: Yates is undermining Carapaz from the second position in the standings. Carapaz slows down, GEE exceeds them, Carapaz restarts in the bottom, but He replies. 35 km are missing for Yates. 3.18 pm, Yates has 1’25 “on Del Toro and is a virtual pink jersey. At the finish Red Bull Yates has 1’42” on Gee, Carapaz and Del Toro. We go up to 18 km per hour. Yates has 1’55 “, then 36” on Del Toro in the standings. Carapaz still lengthens, they detach Gee, but there is always the bull on a wheel. Yates has 1’59 “2.5 km from the top of the window, sees them from the hairpin bend above. At the top of the windows, Cima Coppi at 2178 meters, the Australian Chris Harper (Jayco-Alula) passes first. There are 27 km away at the finish line of Sestriere: Verre is second on top of 1’40”, Simon Yates passes at 15.38 with a delay of 4,43 “, Carapaz always in front of Del Toro, the Ecuadorian on the pedals, the Mexican always sitting. Then the incredible epilogue.