Mads Pedersen fends off Wout van Aert to claim fourth stage win at Giro d'Italia
Friday's 13th stage ran over 180km from Rovigo, taking in four category-four climbs.
A nine-rider breakaway built a lead of around two minutes, but was eventually pulled back in by the peloton heading towards the final 50km before Lorenzo Germani and Christian Scaroni started another attack.
Although Romain Bardet and Mathias Vacek also went for a counter heading into the final climb, there never looked enough distance to the chasing pack, who closed up during the final 500m.
Danish rider Pedersen then powered through the last sprint battle for the line ahead of Belgian Van Aert (Team Visma), with Del Toro also making another podium.
Ireland's Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) finished 16.08 minutes down, crossing the line 145th, while Daniel Rafferty came home 89th.
In the general classification standings, Mexican del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) now holds a 38-second lead over Spanish team-mate Juan Ayuso.
Italian Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) is one minute and 18 seconds back, with Britain's Simon Yates (Team Visma) fourth and former winner Primoz Roglic (Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe) sitting in fifth.
In the points standings, Bennett is 38th.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Footy fans reveal the stadiums they want to visit the most with Real Madrid BEATEN to top spot by rivals, survey shows
One UK stadium made it in the top five FAN VIEW Footy fans reveal the stadiums they want to visit the most with Real Madrid BEATEN to top spot by rivals, survey shows FOOTBALL fans have revealed the top 20 stadiums they want to visit, with Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu taken over by a rival. Barcelona's Camp Nou has topped the list of stadiums footy fans most want to visit, pipping their great rivals Real Madrid to yet another title. Advertisement 4 Camp Nou is the home stadium of famous FC Barcelona with a seating capacity of 99,354 - the largest in Spain and Europe 4 Santiago Bernabeu has undergone renovation and has the second largest seating capacity at 83,186 Credit: Getty 4 Liverpool's Anfield Stadium made the top five list with its capacity of 61,000 Credit: Getty A poll of 2,000 lovers of the beautiful game crowned Barca's ground with an approximate capacity of over 99,000 the most sought-after venue outside the UK to watch a match, while the Bernabéu came second. The San Siro ranked third, reigning supreme in Italy, as the Milan clubs beat out rivals Juventus — whose 41,000+ seater stadium came 16th in the top 20 list. It also emerged 35 per cent of footy fans have a bucket list of grounds they dream of visiting, with 18 per cent of these having as many as five earmarked to tick off one day. Domestically, Liverpool fans had something else to cheer after winning the Premier League this season, with Anfield ranking fourth — the highest of all English venues. Advertisement The research was commissioned by OLBG ahead of the new football seasons kicking off across Europe, which also plotted the top 10 grounds into an interactive map for fans. Jake Ashton, football editor for the brand, said: 'Football stadiums are becoming more impressive, and across the globe they offer very different experiences. 'It's great to see the two Spanish giants go head-to-head again, with Barcelona this time pipping Real Madrid to the top spot. 'The variety and pull for fans to travel and see the beautiful game played out in different grounds looks as strong as ever, based on the number of pitches on people's bucket lists. Advertisement 'With Anfield making the top four, it also shows the UK isn't being left behind when it comes to iconic stadiums in world football.' It's not just Liverpool's home the fans want to visit domestically — Wembley came in sixth, Manchester United's Old Trafford ranked seventh, and their City rivals just six miles away at the Etihad finished ninth. Buffalo Bills' new stadium revealed Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, which opened in 2006 and holds approximately 60,000 supporters, rounded off the top 10. Away from Europe, the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro — home to both CR Flamengo and Fluminense FC and considered a national landmark in Brazil — came in 12th. Advertisement Staying in South America, La Bombonera — home of the iconic yellow and blue of Boca Juniors in Argentina, and the last club Diego Maradona played for before retirement — came 20th in the table. When asked about the most important factors in creating the world's best footie stadiums, excellent views of the pitch (52 per cent) and comfortable seating (50 per cent) topped the list. Another 46 per cent said it was all about atmosphere and crowd noise. When fans were asked to rank grounds purely on their understanding of matchday atmosphere, Anfield came out on top, followed by the Camp Nou and the Santiago Bernabéu. Advertisement Half of those respondents attributed the buzz in these arenas to the passion of the home fans, while others cited the quality of football (47 per cent) and near-capacity crowds (45 per cent) as key contributors. More than a third (38 per cent) of supporters polled, via OnePoll, also admitted to backing a team outside the UK, with 85 per cent of those saying it's a dream to one day watch a game at their chosen ground. Jake Ashton from OLBG added: 'When it comes to football stadiums, the design, location and the team playing there are all key to their popularity. 'But a ground is nothing, it seems, without the fans who flock there week in, week out. Advertisement 'At stadiums like Anfield here in the UK, and others across Europe and South America, that passion is plain to see — even for those who haven't experienced it first-hand.' TOP 20 FOOTBALL STADIUMS FANS WOULD LOVE TO VISIT: 1. Camp Nou – FC Barcelona 2. Santiago Bernabéu – Real Madrid 3. San Siro – AC Milan, Inter Milan 4. Anfield – Liverpool 5. Allianz Arena – Bayern Munich 6. Wembley Stadium – England National Team 7. Old Trafford – Manchester United 8. Parc des Princes – Paris Saint-Germain 9. The Etihad Stadium – Manchester City 10. The Emirates Stadium - Arsenal 11. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Tottenham Hotspur 12. Maracanã – Flamengo, Fluminense, Brazil National Team 13. Signal Iduna Park – Borussia Dortmund 14. St James' Park – Newcastle United 15. Stade de France – France National Team 16. Allianz Stadium – Juventus 17. Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta United (USA) 18. Wanda Metropolitano – Atlético Madrid 19. Lusail Stadium – Qatar 20. La Bombonera – Boca Juniors
Extra.ie
7 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Liverpool icon heaps praise on Caoimhin Kelleher
Caoimhín Kelleher was widely seen as one of the best backup goalkeepers in the Premier League during his time at Liverpool. This summer, the Irish shot-stopper finally left the shadow of Alisson Becker and is preparing for his first season as a number one in the big leagues with Brentford. While Liverpool fans were disappointed to see him leave Anfield, the move is definitely progressive for his career. Kelleher completed a move to Brentford this summer. Pic:Another former Reds goalkeeper who knows a thing or two about delivering on the big stage is Jerzy Dudek. Dudek played 186 times for Liverpool but is easily best known for his penalty shootout heroics in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul. The former Poland stopper has heaped praise on Kelleher for his time at Anfield but believes that Arne Slot has another very good backup in Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Georgian signed for Liverpool from Valencia last August but played the 2024/25 season at the Spanish club. Dudek believes that Mamardashvili will be a key player for the Premier League winners this season, similarly to how Kelleher was over the past couple of years. Dudek was Liverpool's hero in 2005. Pic: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images He told the official Liverpool website: 'I think we have two really good goalkeepers. We also had two really good goalkeepers because Kelleher was absolutely amazing when he had the opportunity to play because Alisson couldn't, and this is what you need. 'You know from the past that the competitions are long, there are many, many games to come. You never know what is going to happen and you need two good goalkeepers. 'Alisson is, in my opinion, one of the best goalkeepers in the world and he is the No.1 and then Mamardashvili, he can be a really good replacement. He has got all the capacities to be at the top of the game, which absolutely we need. 'For every position you need to have a good replacement, especially in goal.' Kelleher made 46 appearances for Liverpool over the last two seasons. Kelleher earned seven winner's medals at Liverpool. Pic: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images Last year, he played 10 times in the Premier League and another 10 times across the FA Cup, EFL Cup and Champions League. Dudek continued: 'So far, from what I have seen, the relationship between the goalkeepers here is very good and I hope it stays like that because there are so many competitions and everyone will get a chance. 'It's not like it used to be where one goalkeeper could play 300 games in a row! It is nothing like this anymore so now you will get the chance to play.' During his time at Liverpool, Kelleher kept 24 clean sheets in 67 appearances. He is also a record-holder, having won the most penalty shootouts of any Liverpool goalkeeper with four. Kelleher joined the Reds from Cork side Ringmahon Rangers in 2015 and earned seven winner's medals at the club. Giorgi Mamardashvili is Liverpool's new backup goalkeeper. Pic: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images Dudek, who also joined Liverpool from a foreign league, believes that adapting to the Premier League will be a challenge for new man Mamardashvili. He added: 'The game is quicker. There is much more pressure on the player and he will probably find that out very soon! 'There is much more pressure on the goalkeeper, especially now when you are trying to build the play with your feet but also with crosses, and this is a huge difference between the Premier League and when you play in the Champions League, for example. 'It is a different style of refereeing and everything that is a foul in Europe is 'play on' in England. As a goalkeeper you have to accept it and be strong in your mind that it doesn't matter what is going to happen, you need to deal with it. 'I found this out at the beginning when I joined Liverpool and realised I had to adapt. I didn't accept it at first but you have to be really strong and you need to respect it because it is the same for everyone.'
Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
‘It's mad!' - Liverpool and Ireland legend's training was way ahead of its time
Ireland legend John Aldridge has revealed that he was way ahead of his time when it came to one area of training. At a time when few in the game were focusing on strength and conditioning, the Boys in Green star was pumping iron and doing sprint sessions on the track. And he reckons the time he spent in the gym helped make him one of the most feared strikers in the game in an era when he scored prolifically in the English and Spanish top-flights. Aldridge was a fan favourite at Liverpool and Real Sociedad thanks to his goalscoring heroics. And he puts that down in part to a decision he made when he started out as a teenager with Newport County, where he spent five seasons between the old Fourth and Third Divisions, now known as League Two and League One. Then he moved onto Oxford United, where his 90 goals in less than 150 appearances caught the eye of his boyhood heroes Liverpool. By the time he moved to Anfield during the 1986/87 campaign, he was years into a training regime that was alien to most footballers at the time. 'I've always been into the weights,' Aldo told Fitter Happier. 'I've been doing them since I was 18. It makes you feel better. 'No one did weights when I was playing. Even when I went to Liverpool no one touched the weights, only me. It's mad.' Aldridge was encouraged to hit the gym by his Newport County manager, who was worried that the then-18-year-old would be bullied by older, bigger and more experienced centre-halves. He was even set a goal during his first off-season, one that he smashed thanks to his hard work, dedication and newfound love of working out. This, remember, was in a time when footballers would down tools completely, unlike in the modern era when players keep ticking over during their holidays. 'I'll tell you what happened,' Aldridge continued, 'When I went and joined Newport, I was a toolmaker by trade and I was only about 11-stone or something like that. 'The manager said to me, look, you can go home for the summer, but you have got to go to a weight trainer and you have got to put on half-a-stone in weight. 'So I pounded it for five weeks and I put 10lb (0.7 stone) of muscle on, and I have never looked back since. I was strong and as fit as the other players.' His time in the gym - and on the running track - also added to another side of Aldridge's game. 'It made me quicker,' he said, referring to the electrifying pace that his club bosses and Ireland manager Jack Charlton utilised to great effect throughout his goal-filled career. 'I did it all myself. Someone told me to get some spikes, some athletic shoes. 'As a striker, the first five yards are massive. So, after training most days, I'd go on the cinder track and do short doggies, sprints. 'And over five or 10 yards I'd get to the ball before defenders. 'The athletic shoes kept me running on my toes. It was really good advice. I strengthened myself up and made myself quicker on the cinder track after training when the lads were getting a bath. 'It was just good advice at the right time, and I took it onboard. Maybe I wanted it more than most. I don't know.' Aldridge's extra training even helped him to prolong his career well beyond when the vast majority of his peers would have hung up their boots. He was still banging in the goals as Tranmere Rovers player-manager up to the age of 40. And he still hits the gym on a regular basis, engaging in both cardio and strength training sessions. 'I'm here four or five times a week. It balances the few pints,' he said. John Aldridge was speaking with Bet Brain. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
