Redemption for Yates on epic mountain climb as he closes in on Giro d’Italia title

By Canadian Press on May 31, 2025.

SESTRIERE, Italy (AP) — Simon Yates produced one of the greatest rides of his career, up one of cycling’s most grueling climbs, to all but win the Giro d’Italia on Saturday.

Yates had started the penultimate stage in third, one minute and 21 seconds behind previous leader Isaac Del Toro but the British cyclist launched a solo attack on the beyond-category climb to Colle delle Finestre — the same mountain that spelled heartbreak for him seven years ago — to ride clear of his overall rivals.

The 32-year-old Yates was openly sobbing after he crossed the line more than five minutes ahead of Del Toro.

“When the route was released I always had in the back of my mind to try and do something here and close the chapter, let’s say,” said an emotional Yates, as he was trying to hold back the tears. “I’m still a bit speechless really.

“I maybe look relaxed but I also had doubts this morning, if I could really do something, but the guys they encouraged me and believed in me, so yeah, thanks to them.”

With just the mostly ceremonial finish in Rome left on Sunday, Yates moved into the lead of the three-week race and is all but certain to lift the famous Trofeo Senza Fine (Trophy With No End) for the first time.

Yates, who won the Spanish Vuelta in 2018, is 3 minutes, 56 seconds ahead of Mexico’s Del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Richard Carapaz of Ecuador.

Yates’ attack had echoes of Chris Froome’s audacious move on the Finestre in 2018 that earned him the title.

It was also redemption for Yates who had been leading the Giro at that point in 2018, having worn the pink jersey for 13 days, before cracking on that climb.

This time around, Yates made his move on the early slopes of the Finestre and had about 45 seconds on Del Toro and Carapaz when he hit the white gravel roads as the duo didn’t collaborate behind him.

“Well, I think we could have been the strongest but we were not the cleverest,” said Carapaz, the 2019 champion. “In the end he (Del Toro) lost the Giro, he didn’t know how to race well and the most clever rider won.”

Yates crested the climb with a lead of 1:41 on the pair and then caught up to Visma–Lease a Bike teammate Wout van Aert, who helped him pull further away on the descent.

Australian cyclist Chris Harper claimed his first individual victory in a Grand Tour on Saturday’s 20th stage, a 205-kilometer (127-mile) leg from Verres to Sestriere. Yates was third, behind Alessandro Verre.

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AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling

The Associated Press