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The Independent
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Simon Yates' unfinished story gets its happy ending with a Giro d'Italia triumph seven years in the waiting
For every super-talent like Tadej Pogacar, every young star like Isaac del Toro, are several figures like Simon Yates. In a sport that is all too quick to leap on the newest, brightest and youngest talent, Yates' Giro d'Italia title was a victory of hard graft, of fighting through adversity, a very human rider exorcising his demons and earning the sweetest of rewards. The 32-year-old has gone through heartbreak at this race. The maglia rosa was his to lose in 2018, and lose it he did as illness – and Chris Froome – struck at the worst possible time. But this year Yates came in high on confidence. Seven years on from the day his Giro tilt utterly collapsed, on the punishing slopes of the Finestre, he picked his moment. He rode a tactically astute race, moving slowly up the overall standings over the first week, staying under the radar, never putting himself too far into the red. All race he bided his time, staying in touch with his rivals and matching their moves. Now he let them blow each other up as he rode away with the race victory. To some degree part of Yates' second grand tour win – which puts him second in the rankings for British men, only behind Froome's monumental seven – was down to Isaac del Toro and Richard Carapaz 's kamikaze mission in the crucial moments of stage 20. Everyone knew the race came down to that day; the margins were small enough that del Toro's lead could very easily go up in smoke. But as the pair failed to work together to chase down Yates' decisive attack, it became clear that they were riding for podium spots and nothing more. But those tactical decisions take nothing away from Yates' brilliant ride. The Bury rider has always had the talent, but not always the opportunity or the form. He moved from Jayco-AlUla, the team he spent 10 years with, for more chances at grand tour leadership. He switched to the behemoth that is Visma-Lease a Bike, taking a secondary role behind the squad's Tour de France specialist Jonas Vingegaard. That gave him a shot at the Giro, albeit in a team that was also sending a dedicated lead-out for sprinter Olav Kooij. He didn't have the pure mountain might of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Juan Ayuso could count on the ever-reliable climbing domestique Rafal Majka, Yates' own brother Adam, and exciting young talents in Igor Arrieta and Del Toro – the latter included as a support rider for Ayuso before his own career-making ride to second place overall. Yates' biggest support in the toughest days of this Giro was Wout van Aert, a rider of almost superhuman quality who turned himself inside out in the hope of overturning the Briton's deficit. His pull for Yates in the valley to Sestriere extended his gap over his pursuers from two to four minutes. He was instrumental in him winning the race – and overturning the might of the world's biggest team. The fact that Visma-Lease a Bike rolled off the startline for the final stage clad in special kits accented with pink, presumably organised some time in advance, indicated that there had been faith within the team for some time that Yates could pull off a miraculous comeback. But outside the Visma bus the chances looked slim. Yates himself downplayed them at the end of stage 19, a virtual stalemate between the big GC favourites as the day's difficult and repetitive climbing neutralised any chance of real attacks among them. Of the three riders on the virtual podium, he had looked the weakest in the mountains of the final week. The time gaps slowly extended: he lost 25 seconds to Del Toro and 15 to Carapaz on stage 17 to Bormio, a further 30 to Del Toro and 28 to the Ecuadorian at the end of stage 19, in which he appeared to blame Visma's team tactics for his inability to follow at the finish. Stage 20 was a case of all or nothing. The memories of the Finestre in 2018, the day his overall lead – and any chance of winning the race – utterly collapsed, loomed large. They were etched on his face as he crossed the line at Sestriere. It was a tearful homecoming. The 32-year-old had not ridden up the Finestre since losing 38 minutes there, ruining his hopes of a maiden grand tour victory. This time he was the conqueror, not the conquered. He rode through Rome on Sunday arm in arm with twin brother Adam - temporary emnity from their opposing teams forgotten - and crossed the finish line a few seconds down on teammate Kooij, rounding off Visma's brilliant Giro with a second stage win for their sprinter. He headed straight into the arms of his partner as the engravers readied themselves to write his name on the trophy, and the annals of history. This was a race of redemption, a glorious comeback for a rider who may well have thought that day in 2018 that he'd never again come so close to victory at a grand tour. He won the Vuelta only a few months later, but the intervening years have been low on opportunities for revenge at the Giro. A third place finish in 2021 was the closest he has come to pulling on the maglia rosa since; he pulled out with Covid-19 in the delayed 2020 edition, and abandoned the race with a knee injury in 2022. It has been a lean seven years in Italy since that emotionally fraught stage 19 on the Finestre. But the story now, at long last, has a happy ending.
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Simon Yates conquers his demons to stunningly snatch Giro d'Italia glory on penultimate day
Simon Yates stands to win the Giro d'Italia after putting to bed his personal demons on the Colle delle Finestre with a stunning solo attack that put him in pink after the penultimate stage. On the mountain where his dreams of Giro victory were shattered by Chris Froome 's famous solo breakaway in 2018, Yates turned the tables with a masterclass of his own as his rivals were left to question their own tactics. The 32-year-old Lancastrian rode away from Isaac del Toro and Richard Carapaz on the brutal gradients and the gravel to turn an 81-second deficit and third place into pink and a three minute, 56-second lead over Del Toro, and can now celebrate his second Grand Tour crown in Rome on Sunday. That it happened on the Finestre made it all the more special for Yates. 'I think when the route of the parcours was released, I always had in the back of my mind to try and do something here and close the chapter, let's say,' he said. 'I'm just still a bit speechless that I was able to do it. 'I felt good, the whole race I did, but I never had the right moment to show what I could do and I found the opportunity today. I was trying to get away from Richard and Isaac because I knew when I could race at my own pace, I'd be really strong – and that's what I managed to do. 'The whole team have been fantastic the entire race, and without Wout (Van Aert) in the valley and the rest of the team the entire day, it wouldn't have been possible. 'Maybe I was looking relaxed this morning, but I had doubts I could do it. The guys encouraged me and believed in me, so thanks to them. 'It's unbelievable, I'm trying to find the words now, but words are failing me – sorry.' Australian Chris Harper took the stage 20 win from a breakaway in Sestriere but all eyes were further down the road as Yates blew the race apart with surely his finest day on a bike, shedding tears after the finish line. Carapaz and his EF Education-EasyPost team had been lining up an attack at the foot of the feared Finestre – the 18km climb which averages 9.2 per cent, with the final third ridden on gravel – and duly launched it almost as soon as the road went up. As UAE Team Emirates' Del Toro followed, Yates was initially distanced but was merely biding his time as he soon set off in pursuit, catching the pair and then launching his own attacks, opening up a gap with the fourth and riding clear, still with more than 40km of the 205km stage remaining. Carapaz tried to respond but could not, while the 21-year-old Del Toro, spending an 11th day in the pink jersey, simply stuck the Ecuadorian's wheel, refusing to take a turn until it proved to be too late. Yates crossed the summit of the climb, above the snow line and in the clouds, more than 90 seconds ahead of them, already the virtual leader of the race. That gap only grew on the descent as he hooked up with Visma-Lease a Bike team-mate Wout Van Aert and the pair behind accepted defeat, allowing the gap to balloon on the approach to the final climb into Sestriere. With Sunday's final stage in Rome one for the sprinters, Yates stands ready to celebrate his second Grand Tour victory following his win in the 2018 Vuelta a Espana. He will be the third Briton to win the Giro after Froome in 2018 and Tao Geohegan Hart in 2020.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Simon Yates pulls off stunning comeback to all but seal Giro d'Italia triumph
The Colle delle Finestre is a sporting theatre in the north of Italy and just a short ski run from the border of France but it has become the site of two of Britain's most incredible moments in this race. In 2018 Simon Yates was leading the Giro d'Italia by 3min 22sec but became the victim of Chris Froome's imperious ride on the same slopes. That day, Yates collapsed and ultimately finished 38 minutes behind Froome but on Saturday, seven years later, the rider from Bury would have his redemption by pulling the same trick on Isaac del Toro and Yates will now – barring accidents – win his second Grand Tour on Sunday. This was billed as Del Toro v Richard Carapaz and even pre-stage Yates was playing down his chances, he said those two riders were a 'step above'. This was clearly a bluff. Over the last 38.5km of almost entirely uphill racing, Yates overturned his 1min 21sec pre-stage deficit and created an insurmountable time gap of 3mins 56sec to Del Toro. Advertisement What happened in 2018 has clearly stayed with Yates ever since and from the moment the Giro released its route for this year he has been targeting some kind of redemption. Related: Giro d'Italia: battle for overall title in mountains on stage 20 – live 'Once the parcours was released I always had it in the back of my mind that maybe I could come here and close the chapter. Maybe not to take the pink jersey and the race but at least win the stage win or something,' the 32-year-old told TNT Sports after the stage, almost through tears. 'To try and show myself, the way I know I can do and to pull it off – I really didn't believe it. I have to thank the guys, the team. They believed in me and even during the stage they were saying 'just give it a try' and I did it in the end. 'I'm not really an emotional person really but even coming over the finish line I couldn't hold back the tears. It's something I've worked towards throughout my career, year after year and I've had a lot of setbacks. I've finally managed to pull it off.' Advertisement The stage itself was won by Chris Harper of Team Jayco–AlUla, who pulled clear on the Finestre and let all the drama unfold behind him. And it was some drama. What should not be overlooked in this whole piece is the role of Wout van Aert, Yates's Visma–Lease a Bike teammate, who snuck into a huge breakaway by the virtue of being part of the final 19-man group that chased down the first 12 riders who sped off from Verrès. Yates had a GC lead of 1min 40secs on the road when he found Van Aert on the descent down the Finestre and by the time the Belgian turned off the gas the gap back to Del Toro was almost four minutes. Visma–Lease a Bike have followed a similar tactic of sending a man up the road on almost every stage, but few are as good at this job as Van Aert, who Yates described as crucial in the victory. However, the Briton had done a lot of the hard work himself. Yates was not even part of the original attack on Del Toro at the bottom of the category one climb up the Finestre. EF Education-EasyPost had set up the slingshot for Carapaz to fire off from a crumbling peloton as the gradient reached 14%. Yates responded to successfully bridge the 20-second gap to Carapaz and Del Toro, who looked comfortable on the back of the Ecuadorian's wheel, to form the group of protagonists who would decide the GC battle. Advertisement Yates and Carapaz took it in turns to attack Del Toro, but the Mexican seemed less bothered when the Briton would get out of the saddle. Even when Yates made a move that stuck Del Toro seemed more interested in Carapaz than chasing down the man who would go on to steal away the Giro. As Yates increased the time gap on the gravel track up the mountain, Del Toro just followed Carapaz and by the time the man riding in pink realised he might have a problem it was far too late. Questions will have to be answered by UAE Team Emirates XRG as to how they let their rider, who always looked as if he had more in the tank, simply watch Yates ride off with the pink jersey. Apparently Yates was the only man who did not think he could pull of the remarkable turnaround, even as the UAE riders on the road fumed into their radios when it became clear the race was over on the final climb up to Sestriere. '200m to go [was when I believed I could win the Giro],' said Yates. 'I was on the radio blabbing asking for the time gap because I never truly believed until the very last moment.' This is a redemption story for the ages and sees Yates earn a second Grand Tour win (after his Vuelta a España triumph in 2018) that must elevate him into the upper echelons of British cycling greats. After the processional stage into Rome he will officially become the third Briton to win the Giro in the last decade. Few have claimed one of cycling's big three races in such a remarkable manner and having been the victim of one of those dramas, it is fitting that Yates can now move on from 2018 so definitively.
The Guardian
a day ago
- General
- The Guardian
Simon Yates pulls off stunning comeback to all but seal Giro d'Italia triumph
The Colle delle Finestre is a sporting theatre in the north of Italy and just a short ski run from the border of France but it has become the site of two of Britain's most incredible moments in this race. In 2018 Simon Yates was leading the Giro d'Italia by 3min 22sec but became the victim of Chris Froome's imperious ride on the same slopes. That day, Yates collapsed and ultimately finished 38 minutes behind Froome but on Saturday, seven years later, the rider from Bury would have his redemption by pulling the same trick on Isaac del Toro and Yates will now – barring accidents – win his second Grand Tour on Sunday. This was billed as Del Toro v Richard Carapaz and even pre-stage Yates was playing down his chances, he said those two riders were a 'step above'. This was clearly a bluff. Over the last 38.5km of almost entirely uphill racing, Yates overturned his 1min 21sec pre-stage deficit and created an insurmountable time gap of 3mins 56sec to Del Toro. What happened in 2018 has clearly stayed with Yates ever since and from the moment the Giro released its route for this year he has been targeting some kind of redemption. 'Once the parcours was released I always had it in the back of my mind that maybe I could come here and close the chapter. Maybe not to take the pink jersey and the race but at least win the stage win or something,' the 32-year-old told TNT Sports after the stage, almost through tears. 'To try and show myself, the way I know I can do and to pull it off – I really didn't believe it. I have to thank the guys, the team. They believed in me and even during the stage they were saying 'just give it a try' and I did it in the end. 'I'm not really an emotional person really but even coming over the finish line I couldn't hold back the tears. It's something I've worked towards throughout my career, year after year and I've had a lot of setbacks. I've finally managed to pull it off.' The stage itself was won by Chris Harper of Team Jayco–AlUla, who pulled clear on the Finestre and let all the drama unfold behind him. And it was some drama. What should not be overlooked in this whole piece is the role of Wout van Aert, Yates's Visma–Lease a Bike teammate, who snuck into a huge breakaway by the virtue of being part of the final 19-man group that chased down the first 12 riders who sped off from Verrès. Yates had a GC lead of 1min 40secs on the road when he found Van Aert on the descent down the Finestre and by the time the Belgian turned off the gas the gap back to Del Toro was almost four minutes. Visma–Lease a Bike have followed a similar tactic of sending a man up the road on almost every stage, but few are as good at this job as Van Aert, who Yates described as crucial in the victory. However, the Briton had done a lot of the hard work himself. Yates was not even part of the original attack on Del Toro at the bottom of the category one climb up the Finestre. EF Education-EasyPost had set up the slingshot for Carapaz to fire off from a crumbling peloton as the gradient reached 14%. Yates responded to successfully bridge the 20-second gap to Carapaz and Del Toro, who looked comfortable on the back of the Ecuadorian's wheel, to form the group of protagonists who would decide the GC battle. Yates and Carapaz took it in turns to attack Del Toro, but the Mexican seemed less bothered when the Briton would get out of the saddle. Even when Yates made a move that stuck Del Toro seemed more interested in Carapaz than chasing down the man who would go on to steal away the Giro. As Yates increased the time gap on the gravel track up the mountain, Del Toro just followed Carapaz and by the time the man riding in pink realised he might have a problem it was far too late. Questions will have to be answered by UAE Team Emirates XRG as to how they let their rider, who always looked as if he had more in the tank, simply watch Yates ride off with the pink jersey. Apparently Yates was the only man who did not think he could pull of the remarkable turnaround, even as the UAE riders on the road fumed into their radios when it became clear the race was over on the final climb up to Sestriere. '200m to go [was when I believed I could win the Giro],' said Yates. 'I was on the radio blabbing asking for the time gap because I never truly believed until the very last moment.' This is a redemption story for the ages and sees Yates earn a second Grand Tour win (after his Vuelta a España triumph in 2018) that must elevate him into the upper echelons of British cycling greats. After the processional stage into Rome he will officially become the third Briton to win the Giro in the last decade. Few have claimed one of cycling's big three races in such a remarkable manner and having been the victim of one of those dramas, it is fitting that Yates can now move on from 2018 so definitively.
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Simon Yates conquers Finestre demons to take Giro d'Italia glory
Simon Yates stands to win the Giro d'Italia after putting to bed his personal demons on the Colle delle Finestre with a stunning solo attack that put him in pink after the penultimate stage. On the mountain where his dreams of Giro victory were shattered by Chris Froome's famous solo breakaway in 2018, Yates turned the tables with a masterclass of his own as his rivals were left to question their own tactics. The 32-year-old Lancastrian rode away from Isaac del Toro and Richard Carapaz on the brutal gradients and the gravel to turn an 81-second deficit and third place into pink and a three minute, 56-second lead over Del Toro, and can now celebrate his second Grand Tour crown in Rome on Sunday. That it happened on the Finestre made it all the more special for Yates. 'I think when the route of the parcours was released, I always had in the back of my mind to try and do something here and close the chapter, let's say,' he said. 'I'm just still a bit speechless that I was able to do it. 'I felt good, the whole race I did, but I never had the right moment to show what I could do and I found the opportunity today. I was trying to get away from Richard and Isaac because I knew when I could race at my own pace, I'd be really strong – and that's what I managed to do. 'The whole team have been fantastic the entire race, and without Wout (Van Aert) in the valley and the rest of the team the entire day, it wouldn't have been possible. 'Maybe I was looking relaxed this morning, but I had doubts I could do it. The guys encouraged me and believed in me, so thanks to them. 'It's unbelievable, I'm trying to find the words now, but words are failing me – sorry.' Australian Chris Harper took the stage 20 win from a breakaway in Sestriere but all eyes were further down the road as Yates blew the race apart with surely his finest day on a bike, shedding tears after the finish line. Carapaz and his EF Education-EasyPost team had been lining up an attack at the foot of the feared Finestre – the 18km climb which averages 9.2 per cent, with the final third ridden on gravel – and duly launched it almost as soon as the road went up. As UAE Team Emirates' Del Toro followed, Yates was initially distanced but was merely biding his time as he soon set off in pursuit, catching the pair and then launching his own attacks, opening up a gap with the fourth and riding clear, still with more than 40km of the 205km stage remaining. Carapaz tried to respond but could not, while the 21-year-old Del Toro, spending an 11th day in the pink jersey, simply stuck the Ecuadorian's wheel, refusing to take a turn until it proved to be too late. Yates crossed the summit of the climb, above the snow line and in the clouds, more than 90 seconds ahead of them, already the virtual leader of the race. That gap only grew on the descent as he hooked up with Visma-Lease a Bike team-mate Wout Van Aert and the pair behind accepted defeat, allowing the gap to balloon on the approach to the final climb into Sestriere. With Sunday's final stage in Rome one for the sprinters, Yates stands ready to celebrate his second Grand Tour victory following his win in the 2018 Vuelta a Espana. He will be the third Briton to win the Giro after Froome in 2018 and Tao Geohegan Hart in 2020.
