Seven years ago, Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) lost the Giro d'Italia on the Colle delle Finestre climb to the eventual winner Chris Froome, but today the British cyclist managed to turn the climb to his advantage.
Yates just asserted his dominance on the Colle delle Finestre, overtaking the long-time wearer of the pink jersey, Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), and taking the overall lead with one day left in the Giro. Yates's victory is essentially secured, as he leads del Toro by nearly four minutes.
"When the Giro route was announced, I thought I wanted to achieve something here and close this chapter," said an emotional Yates after the finish. "I'm still speechless that I actually managed to do it. I felt good throughout the entire Giro, but I never had the right moment to show my abilities. Today that opportunity arose. I tried to get away from Richard Carapaz and Isaac del Toro because I knew that riding at my own pace, I would be very strong – and that's exactly what happened. This is unbelievable, I'm trying to find words, but they just won't come – sorry."
Tears began to flow from Yates almost immediately after crossing the finish line and continued even 20 minutes later when he spoke to the TV cameras. Even at the press conference – long after the stage, when most cyclists had already composed themselves – Yates's eyes were still wet.
"I'm quite emotional. This Giro is something I've worked very, very hard for over many years, but I've missed out on it. But today is my day. I've truly dedicated a large part of my career and life to this race, and there have been many setbacks along the way. It's been tough. You see everyone's reaction – they believed in me," said Yates. "Even this morning, I doubted whether to try anything at all, because those two guys who were ahead of me have been stronger for most of the race. But my teammates believed in me from the start. You see everyone's reaction – they believed in me. Even this morning, I doubted whether to try anything at all, because those two guys who were ahead of me have been stronger for most of the race. But the guys believed in me from the start. It's all just starting to sink in, but it's a bit like a fairytale. I really can't believe I managed it."
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 31, 2025
