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The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Giro D'Italia: Denz surges to stage win as Del Toro keeps hold of pink jersey
Nico Denz surged to victory on stage 18 of the Giro D'Italia, offering some respite for his struggling Red Bull team. The German produced a powerful finish to take the win at Cesano Maderno, a much-needed injection of good news following the injury withdrawals of general classification hopefuls Jai Hindley and Primoz Roglic. 'This is probably the most emotional of my victories at the Giro. Losing Jai Hindley early then the whole team, staff included, was fully committed to help Primoz Roglic win the Giro. We spent two months in altitude for that,' Denz said. 'I was three months away from home to prepare for the Giro. A dream was lost when we lost Primoz. We've thought all this hard work was for nothing. Luckily things turned around.' Denz, now a three-time stage winner at the Giro, moved with a group of 35 in the opening stages and held his spot as the breakaway thinned to 11. With just over 10 kilometres still to go, the 31-year-old made his move and found nobody able to match him. Mirco Maestri, representing Polti-VisitMalta, won the battle for second around a minute further back and Edward Planckaert came in third for Alpecin-Deceuninck. The GC riders in the peloton crossed almost 10 minutes after Denz stopped the clock, leaving Isaac Del Toro in possession of the pink jersey on behalf of UAE Team Emirates. Richard Carparaz (EF-Education EasyPost) and Great Britain's Simon Yates remains third (Team Visma). Del Toro's teammate Juan Ayuso was forced to abandon his own bid after a nasty bee sting around his eye added to existing knee problems, leaving him unable to race on. The race now moves on to the climbs of the 166km Biella-Champoluc stage.
Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Mads Pedersen in pink despite crash on Giro d'Italia stage six
Kaden Groves sprinted to victory in a rain and crash-affected stage six of the Giro d'Italia in which the race leader, Mads Pedersen, crashed on the slippery roads. The Australian, of Alpecin-Deceuninck, unleashed an almighty sprint in Naples after twisting and turning through the cobbled streets to take his first win of the season ahead of Milan Fretin (Cofidis) and Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step). But even if we expected this 227km stage to be one for the sprinters, the Giro showed once again why it is perhaps the most unpredictable grand tour of the year due to its position in May often throwing up issues outside of the riders' or race director's control — think of Geraint Thomas in pink, riding through Verbier in the torrential rain in 2023. And so it was on stage six when a mass crash caused havoc, forcing some riders to abandon the race, and later a protester ran out in front of the peloton within the final 3km. The crash came with 71km to go on the way from Potenza to Naples as the rain came down and the roads became shiny and the white lines on the tarmac became slippery. As the breakaway's gap was falling to about 45 seconds, Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) apparently slipped while braking in the centre of the peloton and hit the ground hard. Numerous riders came down behind him, including Pedersen and fellow general classifcation (GC) contender Richard Carapaz. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) also took a tumble among the masses of riders on the floor, but while most were able to get up and carry on, Hindley sat by the roadside, dazed (perhaps concussed) and making no efforts to stand. Soon after Australian Hindley, the 2022 Giro d'Italia winner, was taken away by the medical team and had to abandon the race. It was a horrible loss for the Giro and as well as a disappointment for the Red Bull rider, it was a blow for Primoz Roglic, the favourite to win the Pink Jersey, who has lost his key lieutenant for the mountains to come. The race was neutralised at this point and rolled on at 20km/h until it was halted completely. And so an argument we're used to having at the Giro d'Italia continued: are wet and slippery roads part and parcel of professional cycling, or are they a risk too far with the speeds of the modern day? The GC teams would have been quite happy to neutralise the entire race but Mauro Vegni, the race director, faces other pressures, including a contract with Naples to bring the race there. The rain wasn't too hard, but the roads were treacherous. If there was enough danger to cause a crash on an innocuous flat, straight road, a sprint finish may well have been deemed too much. A compromise was reached however. The race started again with 58km to go. There was a stage win up for grabs but that was it. All riders would receive the same time as the winner, meaning all GC riders were safe. There would be no points on offer for the points-classification Ciclamino Jersey and there would be no bonus seconds awarded on the finish line. Otherwise the race was back on and the breakaway was given its original gap back. Meanwhile Pedersen, who appeared to be rubbing his right thigh in the peloton after the crash, sat up and dropped behind the leading group. It was clear he wasn't going to complete the sprint finish and wanted to take advantage of the GC neutralisation to avoid any danger. So for the other teams there was a chance for a victory. Cue Visma–Lease a Bike heading to the front of the group chasing down the two-man breakaway of Taco van der Hoorn and Enzo Paleni in service of their sprinter Olav Kooij. With 10km to go, the valiant breakaway, which had got away with 195km to go, still had 24 seconds on the reduced sprinters' peloton. For a moment, as they entered the twisting roads of Naples, it looked as if the breakaway may make it to the finish. But a protester ran out onto the road with 3km to go, disrupting their efforts, and soon the peloton behind had swallowed the breakaway up. The sprint was as messy as the stage itself. Jensen Plowright, Groves's team-mate, went off the front, leaving behind his team in the last kilometre and forcing Wout van Aert to chase him down, only for the Belgian's team-mate, Kooij, to lose his wheel also. Van Aert appeared to make a half-hearted attempt for the line himself but ultimately ran out of steam. Kooij was then in a bad position up against the advertising boards with Matteo Moschetti (who was later relegated from eighth to 176th for his dangerous sprint) and had nowhere to go so was forced to sit up. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Meanwhile Groves had clear air to lay down the power we've been waiting to see since he returned from injury this year. 'Its a big relief,' Groves said after the race. 'The team always believes in me and its not been a great start to the season with the injury, I missed a lot of racing and I was arriving here without a win — so getting the first one of the year is a big relief. 'We needed to use some guys early to close the breakaway and they did a super ride, and in the end I still had two team-mates, Plowright and [Edward] Planckaert, who did a super job.' For Pedersen — who rolled in ten minutes behind — holding on to the Pink Jersey was something of a poisoned chalice. He had to complete the usual leader's press conference as well as attend a special reception with politicians and military representatives before one of the longest transfers of this year's Giro d'Italia, a two hour drive between Naples and Castel di Sangro. There, the race will enter the mountains on the route to Tagliacozzo, where Pedersen is expected to relinquish the jersey as the GC competition truly kicks off.
Associated Press
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Ayuso bursts to stage win as Roglič takes overall lead at Giro d'Italia
TAGLIACOZZO, Italy (AP) — Primož Roglič took the overall lead of the Giro d'Italia and Juan Ayuso impressed with his victory in the first summit finish on Friday. The Spaniard earned his first ever Grand Tour stage victory with a burst of energy 400 meters before the end of the seventh stage, ahead of his UAE Team Emirates teammate Isaac Del Toro and Egan Bernal. Roglič, the pre-race favorite and 2023 champion, crossed next — the peloton all four seconds back. It was good enough for Roglič to take the pink jersey. Ayuso improved to second overall, trailing Roglič by four seconds. Del Toro was third, nine seconds off the lead. Friday's stage was the hardest so far with four classified climbs on the 168-kilometer (104 mile) route from Castel di Sangro, including the top category ascent to the finish in Tagliacozzo. 'This win is a big step in my career,' Ayuso said. 'This is my fourth Grand Tour, I've been close to winning at the Vuelta. To do it today at my first Giro d'Italia is special.' Ayuso calculated his late push. 'I knew that I could do only one attack and not mess around with two or three on this final which was very explosive,' he said. 'Others started attacking before. When I saw my distance I went full gas. It was important to not only get the win but also try and recover the time I lost in the time trial.' Femur broken The big crash in Thursday's stage took its toll on teams. Jai Hindley, the 2022 champion, was concussed. Before Friday's stage, the Israel-Premier Tech team reported that Czech cyclist Jan Hirt broke his right femur in the crash. Incredibly, Hirt finished the stage and then went to the hospital. Juri Hollmann of Alpecin Deceuninck sustained a 'double fracture of the right forearm and a complicated fracture of the right hip,' his team said. The German was being flown to Belgium for surgery. Michel Ries of the Arkea-B&B Hotels team also didn't start Friday's stage. Saturday's stage is a 197-kilometer (122-mile) route from Giulianova, a coastal town on the Adriatic Sea, to Castelraimondo. The Giro ends in Rome on June 1. ___ AP sports:
NBC Sports
15-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Massive crash neutralizes Giro d'Italia Stage 6. Kaden Groves sprints to victory, Mads Pedersen stays in pink
NAPLES, Italy — Australian cyclist Kaden Groves sprinted to victory in a chaotic sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia that had be neutralized following a massive crash. When 2022 winner Jai Hindley slid on the wet roads, riders toppled in domino style with about 43 miles left on the 141-mile route from Potenza to Naples. Hindley was taken to hospital with reported concussion and other riders also had to abandon the three-week race. With all of the ambulances in use, the stage was neutralized for safety reasons while it was discussed how best to continue. Two breakaway riders and the peloton were brought to a halt. The race resumed with about 60 kilometers remaining and the decision that only the stage win would count and no points, time gaps or bonuses would be awarded. That option allowed Naples to get its stage finish and the sprinters could vie for a prestigious win but the overall contenders could remain as safe as possible. Overall leader Mads Pedersen, who won three of the opening five stages, preserved his 17-second advantage over pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic, and Mathias Vacek was another seven seconds back. Groves beat Milan Fretin in a much-reduced bunch sprint to the finish line after the longest stage of this Giro, with Paul Magnier third. It was Groves' first win of the year after a knee injury sidelined the Alpecin–Deceuninck rider for several races. 'The team always believes in me,' he said. 'With the injury I missed a lot of racing and I was arriving here without a win, so the first one for the year is a big relief. 'Once it started raining, I felt quite a bit better, actually. I'm quite good in the colder weather conditions. I had confidence in my team also, I believe in them, and they always do a super job.' Friday's Stage 7 sees the first summit finish in the hardest leg so far. There are four classified climbs on the 168-kilometer route from Castel di Sangro, including the top category ascent to the finish in Tagliacozzo. The Giro ends in Rome on June 1.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Major cycling race SUSPENDED after huge crash leaves riders bloodied and bruised amid treacherous conditions in Italy
The Giro d'Italia was suspended on Thursday after a huge crash ripped through the field during a treacherous sixth stage of the famous race. Adam Yates and Richard Carapaz were among those bloodied and bruised but Jai Hindley, the 2022 Giro winner, was forced to abandon after being the main victim of a crash which forced the race to temporarily stop. The incident occurred around 44 miles from the finish line in Naples. The stage did eventually resume after a half-hour delay. Organisers then decided to neutralise the classifications and leave only the stage victory up for grabs. The Giro d'Italia said in a statement: 'No points or bonus seconds will be awarded at the RedBull KM, or at the finish. 'The classifications will be set at the moment of the crash. There will be no time limits. The stage win will be disputed in Napoli.' A massive crash takes down a large portion of the peloton on Stage 6, including some top favourites. The race has been stopped — wishing everyone involved a speedy recovery! — Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) May 15, 2025 A Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider fell in slippery conditions, causing others behind to also crash to the tarmac in chaotic scenes. One unidentified cyclist was flung onto the nearby pavement. Race leader Mads Pedersen was caught up in the crash but was able to continue. A protester later stepped out in front of the fast-moving peloton holding a banner, almost causing another huge incident and disrupting the lead-out trains. Australian Kaden Groves went on to secure the stage victory.
