Latest news with #Kooij
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Simon Yates overcomes doubts to secure his first Giro d'Italia triumph
Simon Yates (above) is the first man to win the Giro without taking a single stage since Alberto Contador 10 years ago. PHOTO: REUTERS – Simon Yates won the Giro d'Italia on June 1 after cruising home in the pack to seal 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 May 31 when he took the leader's pink jersey from Isaac del Toro with an epic effort in the Italian Alps. Yates, a 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 2024 winner Tadej Pogacar and Yates' teammate Jonas Vingegaard and blown wide open by the retirements of pre-race favourites Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso. He is the Giro's 12th different winner in as many editions. The win also validates Yates' pre-season decision to move to cycling giants Visma after 10 years with the same Australian team, now called Jayco-AlUla. 'I wanted to come to a team that knew how to win the Grand Tours. They have done it successfully with different riders and it's looking like it paid off,' said Yates. 'All of us have doubts if we are doing the right thing or on the right path. I've also had a lot of setbacks, not just here at the Giro but at other races as well, where I've thought maybe it's time to stop and do something else. 'I had no bad luck this year, which is what I had in the past.' 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. Visma wanted the perfect finish, with Yates and Kooij both victorious in the Eternal City, and they executed it to perfection when Wout van Aert led the sprint out on the final kilometre before Kooij surged ahead to take the victory, his second after winning stage 12. '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. '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 to Rome and then winning here, it's really special.' Van Aert added: 'When the ketchup bottle is almost empty... keep shaking, shaking, shaking. Then at some point everything comes out at once, that's what happened. 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 Pope told the riders: 'I hope that, just as you have learned to take care of your bodies, you will also take care of your spirits.' The riders dismounted in front of the pontiff and Yates shook the Pope's hand before standing alongside points jersey winner Pederson, king of the mountains Lorenzo Fortunato and del Toro for a pre-race blessing. 'For some reason, I didn't realise we were going to stop. Immediately I thought we just passed through. An unforgettable moment for me and, I think, for all the riders,' said Yates. 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 May 31, 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 starts on July 5. AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Simon Yates Wins 2025 Giro d'Italia in Historic Finish
SIMON YATES of Visma-Lease a Bike won the 2025 Giro d'Italia on Sunday to claim his second Grand Tour victory, having effectively sealed the title a day earlier when he snatched the pink jersey from Isaac Del Toro. Yates and other riders received blessings from Pope Leo at the Vatican before the Briton cruised to the finish in Rome on the final stage, which was won by teammate Olav Kooij in a sprint finish. Yates, riding in all pink on a pink bike, also became the first rider since Alberto Contador in 2015 to win the Giro without claiming victory on any of the stages. His victory added to his 2018 Vuelta a Espana title. 'Honestly, it's still sinking in. What a huge moment in my career... I couldn't be prouder of the whole team over three weeks,' said Yates, the Giro's 12th different winner in as many editions. 'It's been good that we had the possibility to win the last stage with Olav. So we kept focused till the end. It's a defining moment of my career, there's no doubt about that. It's a sweet success.' Having raced for more than 82 hours, Yates eventually finished three minutes and 56 seconds ahead of Del Toro while Richard Carapaz was third, a further 47 seconds behind. Yates, 32, famously lost the title in 2018 on the Colle delle Finestre climb but this year he closed that painful chapter on the same slopes by taking the pink jersey with Saturday's stunning attack in the mountains. After a 3,300-km journey through Italy, Albania and Slovenia, the final stage was a 143-km ride starting and finishing in Rome, including eight laps of a 9.5 km long circuit. Pope's blessings The riders also had time to meet Pope Leo, who was gifted a pink jersey before they left Vatican City and rode into Rome. 'I hope that, just as you have learned to take care of your bodies, you will also take care of your spirits,' the pope told the riders. With the final stage underway, a relaxed Yates was all smiles as he cycled next to his twin brother Adam, putting his arm around the UAE Team Emirates rider. As the riders cycled past Rome's landmarks like the Colosseum, a six-man breakaway went 24 seconds ahead of the pink jersey group with less than 50 km to go. But with one lap left, only Josef Cerny and Enzo Paleni were left in the lead. Cerny then dropped Paleni to attempt a solo ride to the finish but he was quickly reeled in with six kilometres left. Visma-Lease a Bike wanted the perfect finish and they executed it to perfection when Wout Van Aert led the sprint out on the final kilometre before Kooij surged ahead to take the victory, his second after winning stage 12. '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 left in the legs,' Kooij said after his victory sealed a third stage win for the team this year. Kooij finished ahead of Kaden Groves and Matteo Moschetti as Visma-Lease a Bike became the first team in 26 years to win both the general classification and the final stage. 'When the ketchup bottle is almost empty... keep shaking, shaking, shaking,' Van Aert said. 'Then at some point everything comes out at once, that's what happened.'
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Yates wins Giro d'Italia for second Grand Tour title
SIMON YATES of Visma-Lease a Bike won the 2025 Giro d'Italia on Sunday to claim his second Grand Tour victory, having effectively sealed the title a day earlier when he snatched the pink jersey from Isaac Del Toro. Yates and other riders received blessings from Pope Leo at the Vatican before the Briton cruised to the finish in Rome on the final stage, which was won by teammate Olav Kooij in a sprint finish. Yates, riding in all pink on a pink bike, also became the first rider since Alberto Contador in 2015 to win the Giro without claiming victory on any of the stages. His victory added to his 2018 Vuelta a Espana title. 'Honestly, it's still sinking in. What a huge moment in my career... I couldn't be prouder of the whole team over three weeks,' said Yates, the Giro's 12th different winner in as many editions. 'It's been good that we had the possibility to win the last stage with Olav. So we kept focused till the end. It's a defining moment of my career, there's no doubt about that. It's a sweet success.' Having raced for more than 82 hours, Yates eventually finished three minutes and 56 seconds ahead of Del Toro while Richard Carapaz was third, a further 47 seconds behind. Yates, 32, famously lost the title in 2018 on the Colle delle Finestre climb but this year he closed that painful chapter on the same slopes by taking the pink jersey with Saturday's stunning attack in the mountains. After a 3,300-km journey through Italy, Albania and Slovenia, the final stage was a 143-km ride starting and finishing in Rome, including eight laps of a 9.5 km long circuit. Pope's blessings The riders also had time to meet Pope Leo, who was gifted a pink jersey before they left Vatican City and rode into Rome. 'I hope that, just as you have learned to take care of your bodies, you will also take care of your spirits,' the pope told the riders. With the final stage underway, a relaxed Yates was all smiles as he cycled next to his twin brother Adam, putting his arm around the UAE Team Emirates rider. As the riders cycled past Rome's landmarks like the Colosseum, a six-man breakaway went 24 seconds ahead of the pink jersey group with less than 50 km to go. But with one lap left, only Josef Cerny and Enzo Paleni were left in the lead. Cerny then dropped Paleni to attempt a solo ride to the finish but he was quickly reeled in with six kilometres left. Visma-Lease a Bike wanted the perfect finish and they executed it to perfection when Wout Van Aert led the sprint out on the final kilometre before Kooij surged ahead to take the victory, his second after winning stage 12. '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 left in the legs,' Kooij said after his victory sealed a third stage win for the team this year. Kooij finished ahead of Kaden Groves and Matteo Moschetti as Visma-Lease a Bike became the first team in 26 years to win both the general classification and the final stage. 'When the ketchup bottle is almost empty... keep shaking, shaking, shaking,' Van Aert said. 'Then at some point everything comes out at once, that's what happened.'
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Simon Yates secures his first Giro d'Italia triumph
ROME: Simon Yates won the Giro d'Italia on Sunday after cruising to overall 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 with an epic effort in the Italian Alps. 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. 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. It was a perfect day for Visma-Lease a bike with Yates and Kooij both victorious in the Eternal City. 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 Isaac del Toro for a pre-race blessing.
The 42
4 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Simon Yates secures his first Giro d'Italia triumph
SIMON YATES WON the Giro d'Italia on Sunday after cruising to overall 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 with an epic effort in the Italian Alps. Advertisement 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. 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. It was a perfect day for Visma-Lease a bike with Yates and Kooij both victorious in the Eternal City. 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 Isaac del Toro for a pre-race blessing. 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. – © AFP 2025
