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Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Christian Scaroni wins Stage 16 as Primoz Roglic pulls out on chaotic day at Giro d'Italia
XDS Astana Team rider Christian Scaroni (right) celebrating at the end of the 16th stage on May 27, alongside second-placed XDS Astana rider Lorenzo Fortunato. PHOTO: AFP Christian Scaroni wins Stage 16 as Primoz Roglic pulls out on chaotic day at Giro d'Italia SAN VALENTINO, Italy - Christian Scaroni won an action-packed stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia on May 27 as Isaac Del Toro's rivals cut into his overall lead and favourite Primoz Roglic abandoned the race. A 203km ride from Piazzola sul Brenta to San Valentino featured four brutal climbs, totalling up to 4,900m of elevation, with heavy rainfall leading to several crashes. Scaroni and teammate Lorenzo Fortunato broke away on the final climb, a punishing 12.6km stretch at an average gradient of 8.3 per cent, and built a sizeable lead to ensure a one-two finish for the XDS Astana Team. "I'm really happy to win a stage of the Giro d'Italia. Lorenzo Fortunato and I fought very hard and very well," Scaroni said. "He let me win the stage. I was at the limit in the last kilometre. It was very steep there." Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) was third, completing an all-Italian podium. In the overall standings, Mexican Del Toro is now just 26 seconds ahead of Simon Yates (Visma–Lease a Bike) after running out of steam with 3km to go and failing to keep up with the Briton and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost). Carapaz, winner of the 2019 Giro and a gold medallist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, started the day over two minutes behind Del Toro but now trails by 31 seconds after an explosive effort on the final climb. "At the end we knew it was a real key stage here. I think I went well and I demonstrated what I've worked (on), everything it's cost me to get here and be here once again," Carapaz told TNT Sports. "I think in the last few years I haven't had the aptitude, the shape to be here in this moment but that was the motivation to get myself up and go ahead and be here and try it once more. "And good, I think we're good to give a big battle and go for it." Day of crashes Earlier on May 27, Slovenian Roglic abandoned the Giro after suffering another crash on a downhill section alongside Ecuadorean Carapaz. The 2023 winner's title bid had suffered a major blow after a crash on May 24, his third in a week, with Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe's sports director Christian Pomer saying on May 25 the team could decide to pull the 35-year-old out of the race. Welshman Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers), the stage two winner, also abandoned the race after a heavy crash. Slovenian Primoz Roglic abandoned the Giro after suffering another crash on a downhill section alongside Ecuadorean Richard Carapaz. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Roglic and Tarling were among the riders to crash on May 27, with Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers), Carlos Verona (Lidl–Trek) and Alessio Martinelli of VF Group–Bardiani–CSF–Faizane all losing their footing in the rain. Martinelli was taken to hospital after the crash, where he was conscious and in a stable condition. May 28's stage 17 is another ride through the mountains spanning 155km from San Michele all'Adige to Bormio, with an altitude gain of 3,800m. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.


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?'

Associated Press
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Plapp solos to stage win and Ulissi becomes first Italian to lead Giro in 4 years
CASTELRAIMONDO, Italy (AP) — Luke Plapp soloed to victory in the eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia for the biggest win of his career while Italian veteran Diego Ulissi moved into the overall lead on Saturday. 'Crazy, crazy,' Plapp said with a smile immediately after his first victory in a Grand Tour. Plapp attacked from a breakaway with about 45 kilometers (28 miles) remaining and had about a minute's advantage on the final climb of the day. The Australian rider then used his time trialling skills to hold off his chasers. Plapp had plenty of time to celebrate, sitting up and lifting his arms out as he crossed the line 38 seconds ahead of Wilco Kelderman and Ulissi at the end of the tricky 97-kilometer (122-mile) route from Giulianova to Castelraimondo. Ulissi faced an anxious wait to see whether it was enough to take the pink jersey from pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic and become the first Italian to lead the race since 2021. He let out a loud yell of joy when it was confirmed to him, after Roglic and most of the rest of the peleton finished nearly five minutes off the pace. Ulissi, who had never previously led the Giro, has a 12-second advantage over compatriot Lorenzo Fortunato and is 17 seconds ahead of Roglic. Even more special is that Ulissi will be in pink as his home race goes into his home region of Tuscany. Sunday's ninth stage includes a mini Strade Bianche on the white, gravel roads on the 181-kilometer route from Gubbio to Siena. The Giro ends in Rome on June 1. ___ AP sports: