Simon Yates secures his first Giro d'Italia triumph
Pope Leo XIV (L) Simon Yates' hand before the final stage of the Giro d'Italia (Handout)
Simon Yates won the Giro d'Italia on Sunday after cruising to a career-defining victory in the final procession stage, won by his teammate Olav Kooij, around Rome.
Briton Yates effectively secured his second Grand Tour triumph on Saturday when he took the leader's pink jersey from revelation Isaac del Toro with an epic effort in the Italian Alps.
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The 32-year-old, who rides for Visma-Lease a bike, is the first man to win the Giro without taking a single stage since Alberto Contador 10 years ago.
Yates came out on top in a Giro missing last year's winner Tadej Pogacar and teammate Jonas Vingegaard and which was blown wide open by the retirements of pre-race favourites Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso.
The win also validates his pre-season decision to move to cycling giants Visma after 10 years with the same Australian team, now called Jayco-AlUla.
"I think it's really still sinking in. What a huge moment in my career, probably, yeah, the defining moment," said Yates.
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"I've had some good successes, but I don't think anything (else) comes close. So I will celebrate, for sure, and we'll see what's to come."
Kooij won the bunch sprint which has become a feature of the finales in Rome, pipping Kaden Groves, Matteo Moschetti and Mads Pedersen to claim his second win of this year's hugely entertaining three-week race around Italy.
- Perfect finale -
It was a perfect day for Visma with Yates and Kooij both victorious in the Eternal City.
"We couldn't wish for a better final weekend. Yesterday was really amazing for the team and today I just had to give everything that was still left in the legs. The team made it a lot easier, I just had to push it until the line," said Kooij.
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"With sprints it's never easy to do it like perfectly but today we really committed, we just went all in, we were in perfect position and just happy to make it to the line.
"I was really happy with this Giro, making it ot Rome and then winning here it's really special."
Yates started the day stood alongside Pope Leo XIV who blessed the peloton in a short stop in Vatican City before the race proper started.
The riders dismounted in front of the pontiff and Yates shook his hand before standing alongside points jersey winner Pederson, king of the mountains Lorenzo Fortunato and Del Toro for a pre-race blessing.
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Del Toro had to content himself with the white jersey for best young rider after failing to spot the danger in Yates' attack on the Colle delle Finestre climb on Saturday which ended up deciding the title.
Yates could still be on a high from his Giro win when he lines up alongside Vingegaard at the upcoming Tour de France which gets underway on July 5.
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