Latest news with #DiegoUlissi
Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Giro d'Italia: Diego Ulissi takes Pink Jersey from Primoz Roglic
The four-year wait for an Italian owner of the Pink Jersey is over. Diego Ulissi will wear the Maglia Rosa for the ninth stage after taking it from Primoz Roglic, while the new leader's team-mate and compatriot, Lorenzo Fortunato, is now in second place and continues as King of the Mountains. Ulissi, 35, named in honour of his father's hero, Diego Maradona, won the first of his eight Giro d'Italia stages in 2011. His career-best grand tour result, 17th in the general classification of his home race, came in 2021. Ulissi was as far down as 30th after stage seven here but thrust himself into first place between Giulianova and Castelraimondo and is the first home cyclist to wear pink in the race since Alessandro de Marchi in 2021. Roglic and Mads Pedersen had shared ownership of the Pink Jersey thus far, in two stints apiece. Luke Plapp, who is on a comeback from surgery on a lingering wrist injury this year, took a maiden grand tour stage win. The 24-year-old Australian made a solo attack with just over 40km remaining as he knew he wouldn't come out on top in a sprint and to his surprise he took the day by 38 seconds from Wilco Kelderman and Ulissi. 'The way the racing's been going this year, long moves have been really successful, so that was sort of in the back of my mind: the first one to make a move has an advantage,' Plapp said. 'I wanted a head start on the descent as well. To stay away until the finish was definitely not what I expected. 'Jeez, that was unbelievable, the fight to get into the breakaway. It just kept going and going; there was one point when I was following Wout [van Aert] so many times I almost dropped myself, then gave it one more chance. It was all worth it in the end. 'It's pretty crazy, I still can't believe it, to be honest. I feel like it's been a long time coming. Last year I got so close to the Giro so many times. And for today to happen is so, so special.' Roglic came home in 12th, 4min 50sec behind Plapp, and the Slovenian remains only 17sec behind Ulissi in the general classification, with Juan Ayuso a further 3sec down. 'It was a hard day, and in the end we had to let the jersey go,' Roglic said. 'The guys were super strong, we did our best. Sometimes you lose the jersey, but still quite some days to go, no?'
Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Isaac del Toro reviving legacy of Latin America's finest at Giro d'Italia
Tadej Pogacar was so distinct at last year's Giro d'Italia that they may as well have painted the Pink Jersey and all the sponsors' names on to the Slovenian's body. He took the race lead on the second stage and kept it all the way to Rome. In Pogacar's absence, at UAE Team Emirates XRG and in the peloton at large, the 2025 Giro is volatile. After nine days of racing, we have seen Mads Pedersen and Primoz Roglic in pink, then Pedersen and Roglic again, followed by Diego Ulissi and Isaac del Toro. Del Toro, 21, is the first Mexican to lead the Giro, despite not being the lead youngster on his team. Juan Ayuso, the 22-year-old Spaniard, was fourth in the general
ABC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Plapp rides solo to Giro d'Italia stage eight win as Ulissi takes overall lead
Australia's Luke Plapp has won stage eight of the Giro d'Italia with a formidable solo effort on the 197 kilometre ride from Giulianova to Castelraimondo. After nearly 20 riders formed a breakaway group with 100km to go, Jayco Alula's Plapp attacked the Montelago climb. He did not look back as he rode to victory by a handsome margin to claim his first Grand Tour stage win. Plapp was so far ahead that there was no chaser in sight. But the 24-year-old still looked cautiously over his shoulder on the final stretch to the finish, placing his hands on head in disbelief as he crossed the line. "It's pretty crazy, I still can't believe it, to be honest. I feel like it's been a long time coming," Plapp said. "Last year I got so close to the Giro so many times. And for today to happen is so, so special." Wilco Kelderman of Visma-Lease a Bike finished second, while XDS-Astana's Diego Ulissi came in third, with both riders finishing 38 seconds behind Plapp. Ulissi became the first Italian in four years to take the overall leader's pink jersey, ending an 86-stage drought. He replaced Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at the top of the general classification. Ulissi leads his teammate Lorenzo Fortunato by 12 seconds, while Roglič is 17 seconds behind. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro) is the best-placed Australian in the general classification, sitting 50 seconds behind Ulissi in eighth position. Earlier, Plapp had attacked with 45km to go in the stage, kicking into a high gear to leave the field behind and riding solo to the top on the Montelago climb. Plapp stayed in the lead after taking maximum points in the fight for the blue jersey and he had a minute's lead on the chasers while the peloton was more than six minutes behind with about 20km remaining. He showed no signs of slowing down as he also conquered the Gagliole climb and remained over five minutes ahead of the peloton on the descent. "I knew I couldn't beat any of them in a sprint, so I knew I had to go at some stage pretty early," Plapp said. "I think the way the racing's been going this year, the long moves have been really, really successful. "The first one to make a move, I think, always has an advantage. I just thought I'd give it a crack and to be honest, I just wanted a bit of a head start on the descent as well." Reuters
The Independent
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Diego Ulissi ends Italy's Giro d'Italia drought to seize pink jersey
Italy had not seen one of their own wear the pink jersey in the Giro d'Italia in four years until Saturday when XDS Astana's Diego Ulissi took the Maglia Rosa and he will proudly wear it when he rides through his home region of Tuscany on Sunday. Ulissi came third in stage eight but his performance was enough to take the pink jersey from Slovenian Primoz Roglic as the Italian built up a slender 12-second lead over his teammate Lorenzo Fortunato, with Roglic a further five seconds back. Ulissi screamed in delight when he was told the pink jersey was his as he became the first Italian since Alessandro De Marchi in 2021 to wear the jersey, ending a long wait for home fans that lasted 86 stages. "I don't easily let myself be taken by emotions but when I was presented with the Maglia Rosa and saw XDS Astana stamped on it, I became emotional, I have to admit," Ulissi told reporters. "I'm 35, soon 36 (in July). I've had nice satisfactions in my cycling career with eight stage wins at the Giro, I've built a nice family with three daughters. "So when I first saw this jersey, I thought of all my family members, especially those who took me to races when I was a kid." The stage victory, however, went to Australian Luke Plapp, who rode solo with 45 km for his first Grand Tour stage win. Ulissi finished 38 seconds behind, losing a battle with Wilco Kelderman of Visma-Lease a Bike for second. "Luke Plapp was superior. I'm happy with how I went on such a lumpy terrain. When I heard that I had to ride flat out till the finish, I understood that I had a chance to take the Maglia Rosa," Ulissi added. "The choice of not communicating to me the exact gaps was the best thing to do in order to not disturb me. I have a long experience in cycling but I never had the Maglia Rosa before." Stage nine is a 181 km ride from Gubbio to Siena in the Tuscany region in central Italy. "Tomorrow, I'll try to give everything to defend it but it's a complicated stage that requires some luck as well," Ulissi said. Reuters. Stage eight results 1) Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), in 4:44:20 2) Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike), +38' 3) Diego Ulissi (XDS-Astana), +38' 4) Igor Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), +1'22' 5) Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), +1'35' 6) Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), +1'48' 7) Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana), +1'48' 8) Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost), +2'59' 9) Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL), +3'02' 10) Alessio Martinelli (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizane), +4'37' General classification 1) Diego Ulissi (XDS-Astana), in 29:21:23 2) Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana), +12' 3) Primoz Roglic (Red Bull -BORA-hansgrohe), +17' 4) Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +20' 5) Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +26' 6) Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) +44' 7) Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL) +47' 8) Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) +50' 9) Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +51' 10) Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) +56' Points classification 1) Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 153pts 2) Alessandro Tonelli (Polti VisitMalta) 59 3) Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) 55 4) Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL) 50 5) Orluis Aular (Movistar) 42 King of the mountains (KOM) classification 1) Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana) 98pts 2) Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 50 3) Paul Double (Jayco AlUla) 36 4) Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizane), 32 5) Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 24 Young riders' classification 1) Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in 29:21:43 2) Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +6' 3) Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) +24' 4) Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL) +26' 5) Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +40'
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Emotional Ulissi revels in pink jersey after ending Italy's Giro drought
Cycling - Giro d'Italia - Stage 8 - Giulianova to Castelraimondo - Italy - May 17, 2025 XDS Astana Team's Diego Ulissi and Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Wilco Kelderman in action during stage 8 REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini Italy had not seen one of their own wear the pink jersey in the Giro d'Italia in four years until Saturday when XDS Astana's Diego Ulissi took the Maglia Rosa and he will proudly wear it when he rides through his home region of Tuscany on Sunday. Ulissi came third in stage eight but his performance was enough to take the pink jersey from Slovenian Primoz Roglic as the Italian built up a slender 12-second lead over his teammate Lorenzo Fortunato, with Roglic a further five seconds back. Ulissi screamed in delight when he was told the pink jersey was his as he became the first Italian since Alessandro De Marchi in 2021 to wear the jersey, ending a long wait for home fans that lasted 86 stages. "I don't easily let myself be taken by emotions but when I was presented with the Maglia Rosa and saw XDS Astana stamped on it, I became emotional, I have to admit," Ulissi told reporters. "I'm 35, soon 36 (in July). I've had nice satisfactions in my cycling career with eight stage wins at the Giro, I've built a nice family with three daughters. "So when I first saw this jersey, I thought of all my family members, especially those who took me to races when I was a kid." The stage victory, however, went to Australian Luke Plapp, who rode solo with 45 km for his first Grand Tour stage win. Ulissi finished 38 seconds behind, losing a battle with Wilco Kelderman of Visma-Lease a Bike for second. "Luke Plapp was superior. I'm happy with how I went on such a lumpy terrain. When I heard that I had to ride flat out till the finish, I understood that I had a chance to take the Maglia Rosa," Ulissi added. "The choice of not communicating to me the exact gaps was the best thing to do in order to not disturb me. I have a long experience in cycling but I never had the Maglia Rosa before." Stage nine is a 181 km ride from Gubbio to Siena in the Tuscany region in central Italy. "Tomorrow, I'll try to give everything to defend it but it's a complicated stage that requires some luck as well," Ulissi said. "It'll be special to arrive in Tuscany with the Maglia Rosa." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
