Latest news with #ChrisHarper
SBS Australia
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
The Italian Redemption : Yates Turns the Giro Tide
The latest episode of the podcast with Christophe Mallet and Dave McKenzie dives into the thrilling final stages of the Giro d'Italia. Macka, stunned by the action, calls it the wildest finish he's ever seen in 20 years of commentary. The hosts spotlight Chris Harper's pivotal stage win and Simon Yates's stunning comeback, calling it a defining moment in his career. In 20 years of commentary, I don't think I've seen anything as crazy as that. Dave McKenzie Tactics take centre stage as the duo analyses team strategies, especially those of UAE Team Emirates, and how key decisions could have shifted the race outcome. The conversation also explores the role of race radios and evolving team dynamics in modern cycling. Del Toro could have won this. 100% Dave McKenzie The episode wraps by looking ahead to the Tour de France, speculating how Giro results might shape strategies for the next Grand Tour.
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Australian cyclist Chris Harper claims penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia, as Simon Yates bursts to the lead
Australian Chris Harper has won the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia with the ride of his life — but he was still happy to play second fiddle to his one-time British teammate Simon Yates, who sensationally exploded the race to grab almost certain overall victory. Harper, a 30-year-old stalwart for Australian team Jayco AlUla, enjoyed his first ever individual grand tour victory with an epic solo effort on the brutal 20th 'queen' stage from Verres to Sestriere, conquering one of cycling's most brutal climbs, the Colle delle Finestre, to battle home alone one minute 49 seconds clear of the field. It was a wondrous moment for Harper, a fine 12-year pro, as he rode clear of a breakaway near the top of the climb on Saturday and then held on for his first race victory for nearly six years, as an incredible story was building behind him. His ex-Jayco teammate Yates, now at Team Visma-Lease a Bike, dropped race leader Isaac del Toro on the Finestre with another monumental ride to clinch the leader's pink jersey with just one flat, largely ceremonial flat stage left. Yates, who had started the day 1min 21sec adrift, ended it 3:56 ahead of del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Richard Carapaz, and he'll ride into Rome with a second grand tour title in the bag. The great irony is that 32-year-old Yates, a former Vuelta winner, had lost the Giro to Chris Froome by cracking on the same climb seven years ago when he was with the Jayco team known then as Mitchelton-Scott. Sunday's redemption ride left Yates sobbing with joy. "I don't know what I'm happier about, though, getting a stage win or seeing Yatesy win pink," Harper said. "He's an awesome guy, I had the pleasure of racing with him for a couple of seasons and I don't think anyone deserves the pink jersey more than him. "It means a lot for me to win on this stage. It's such a famous climb and I'm pretty proud to win the stage here. It's a super challenging one, and I'm really happy I could pull it off." Harper became Australia's third stage winner of the 2025 Giro after Kaden Groves took the sixth stage and Luke Plapp soloed away in the eighth. "I came here looking for GC (the general classification) and I was feeling good in the first week, but then got sick on the second rest day," he said. "I started to feel pretty bad and ended up on antibiotics, and then slipped off of the GC. After that, I was looking for a stage win." It came in dramatic fashion as he made one key push with 16km left and then finally rode his last challenger, runner-up Alessandro Verre (Arkea-B&B Hotels), off his wheel. Harper still couldn't be sure of the win, though, with Yates catching him fast in third place. "I asked the (team) car one last time how big the gap was, I knew Simon was coming, I wasn't super confident. Only once I got to about 1.5km to go, I knew I could hold on. It was a bit of a relief," he said. "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. "I'm still a bit speechless really." AAP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Aussie Harper wins and Yates rides into pink at Giro
Australian Chris Harper has won the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia with the ride of his life - but he was still happy to play second fiddle to his one-time British teammate Simon Yates, who sensationally exploded the race to grab almost certain overall victory. Harper, a 30-year-old stalwart for Australian team Jayco AlUla, enjoyed his first ever individual grand tour victory with an epic solo effort on the brutal 20th 'queen' stage from Verres to Sestriere, conquering one of cycling's most brutal climbs, the Colle delle Finestre, to battle home alone one minute 49 seconds clear of the field. It was a wondrous moment for Harper, a fine 12-year pro, as he rode clear of a breakaway near the top of the climb on Saturday and then held on for his first race victory for nearly six years, as an incredible story was building behind him. 🎙️ "Mentally and physcially, it's been a difficult Giro. I don't think anyone deserves the Maglia Rosa more than him [Simon Yates] " - 🏆 🇦🇺 @chrisharper94 #GirodItalia — Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 31, 2025 His ex-Jayco teammate Yates, now at Team Visma-Lease a Bike, dropped race leader Isaac del Toro on the Finestre with another monumental ride to clinch the leader's pink jersey with just one flat, largely ceremonial flat stage left. Yates, who'd started the day 1min 21sec adrift, ended it 3:56 ahead of del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Richard Carapaz, and he'll ride into Rome with a second grand tour title in the bag. The great irony is that 32-year-old Yates, a former Vuelta winner, had lost the Giro to Chris Froome by cracking on the same climb seven years ago when he was with the Jayco team known then as Mitchelton-Scott. Sunday's redemption ride left the Briton sobbing with joy. "I don't know what I'm happier about, though, getting a stage win or seeing Yatesy win pink. He's an awesome guy, I had the pleasure of racing with him for a couple of seasons and I don't think anyone deserves the pink jersey more than him," said Harper. "It means a lot for me to win on this stage. It's such a famous climb and I'm pretty proud to win the stage here. It's a super challenging one, and I'm really happy I could pull it off." "Mentally and physically it's been a challenging Giro," added Adelaide rider Harper, who became Australia's third stage winner of the 2025 Giro after Kaden Groves took the sixth stage and another Jayco man Luke Plapp soloed away in the eighth. "I came here looking for GC (the general classification) and I was feeling good in the first week, but then got sick on the second rest day. "I started to feel pretty bad and ended up on antibiotics, and then slipped off of the GC. After that, I was looking for a stage win." It came in dramatic fashion as he made one key push with 16km left and then finally rode his last challenger, runner-up Alessandro Verre (Arkea-B&B Hotels), off his wheel. Harper still couldn't be sure of the win, though, with Yates catching him fast in third place. "I asked the (team) car one last time how big the gap was, I knew Simon was coming, I wasn't super confident. Only once I got to about 1.5km to go, I knew I could hold on. It was a bit of a relief. "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 Yates. "I'm still a bit speechless really."
CNA
3 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Yates snatches pink jersey from Del Toro on penultimate Giro stage
Simon Yates rode a stage for the ages when he stormed into the overall lead of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday when the Visma-Lease a Bike rider erased overall leader Isaac Del Toro's lead to take the pink jersey on the penultimate stage of the race. The stage was won by Australian Chris Harper of Jayco-AlUla, who rode solo to the finish while Alessandro Verre was second, but all eyes were on Yates as he finished third to flip the general classification battle and take the overall lead. On the 205 km ride from Verres to Sestriere where riders gained 4,500 metres in altitude in total, it was Richard Carapaz or Yates who had to make a move if they were to take the pink jersey from Del Toro. Ultimately, it was Yates who put in a series of attacks in a bid to reel in Del Toro, who held an 81-second lead at the start of the stage. In 2018, Yates saw his dreams of winning the Giro crumble on the Colle delle Finestre climb when Chris Froome's attack left him far behind. But this time he redeemed himself on the same climb to take the lead and Del Toro did not respond even as the cavalry arrived in the form of Wout van Aert, who helped Yates power to the finish. Ultimately, Del Toro knew he had lost his chance and the 21-year-old eventually crossed the line more than five minutes behind Yates.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Yates snatches pink jersey from Del Toro on penultimate Giro stage
May 31 (Reuters) - Simon Yates rode a stage for the ages when he stormed into the overall lead of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday when the Visma-Lease a Bike rider erased overall leader Isaac Del Toro's lead to take the pink jersey on the penultimate stage of the race. The stage was won by Australian Chris Harper of Jayco-AlUla, who rode solo to the finish while Alessandro Verre was second, but all eyes were on Yates as he finished third to flip the general classification battle and take the overall lead. On the 205 km ride from Verres to Sestriere where riders gained 4,500 metres in altitude in total, it was Richard Carapaz or Yates who had to make a move if they were to take the pink jersey from Del Toro. Ultimately, it was Yates who put in a series of attacks in a bid to reel in Del Toro, who held an 81-second lead at the start of the stage. In 2018, Yates saw his dreams of winning the Giro crumble on the Colle delle Finestre climb when Chris Froome's attack left him far behind. But this time he redeemed himself on the same climb to take the lead and Del Toro did not respond even as the cavalry arrived in the form of Wout van Aert, who helped Yates power to the finish. Ultimately, Del Toro knew he had lost his chance and the 21-year-old eventually crossed the line more than five minutes behind Yates.
