How Seven Years of Heartbreak Culminated in Glory on the Mountain That Once Broke Him
From the cobblestones of Rome to the brutal ascent of Colle delle Finestre, the 108th Giro d’Italia delivered one of cycling’s most compelling narratives of redemption
ROME, Italy (June 1, 2025) — In the dying light of a Roman evening, Simon Yates stood atop the podium in the eternal city, his hands raised in triumph as confetti fell like snow around the Circus Maximus. For the 32-year-old Briton, this moment represented more than just his first Giro d’Italia victory—it was the culmination of a seven-year journey of redemption that began on the very mountain where he would ultimately claim cycling’s greatest prize.
“Since I turned pro, I’ve dreamt of winning the best races and the Grand Tours are the pinnacle of our sport,” Yates said moments after being crowned champion on June 1st. “You all know what happened to me in the Giro in 2018. I’ve had my ups and downs here in Italy but this race kept calling my name and I finally win it.”
The 2025 Giro d’Italia will be remembered not just for its winner, but for the extraordinary drama that unfolded in its final stages, transforming what seemed like a comfortable victory for young Mexican Isaac Del Toro into one of the most shocking turnarounds in Grand Tour history. What began as Del Toro’s fairy tale—the 21-year-old holding the maglia rosa for eleven consecutive days—became Yates’s moment of redemption on the punishing slopes of the Colle delle Finestre.
The victory represented not just a personal triumph but a masterclass in tactical patience and calculated risk-taking that exemplified the sophisticated strategic thinking that defines modern Grand Tour racing. When the dust settled on the cobblestones of Rome, Yates had accomplished what many thought impossible: conquering the race that had broken him in 2018, on the same climb that had shattered his dreams.
Stage 16: Scaroni Breaks Italian Drought in Emotional Victory
The final act of this cycling drama began to take shape on Stage 16, the demanding 203-kilometer journey from Piazzola sul Brenta to San Valentino (Brentonico). On a rain-soaked day that tested both tactics and tenacity, Christian Scaroni delivered Italy its first stage victory in 17 races, ending a drought that stretched back to Andrea Vendrame’s triumph at Sappada the previous year.
The stage belonged to XDS Astana Team’s tactical masterclass. Christian Scaroni and Lorenzo Fortunato, working in perfect harmony, orchestrated a breakaway that would see them cross the finish line hand in hand—a gesture of sportsmanship that embodied the spirit of the Giro.
“We started with the rain. In such conditions, I’m able to express myself at 110%,” Scaroni explained in the post-stage press conference, his voice still heavy with emotion. “During the race, I was feeling better and better. Our first goal was to consolidate the KOM jersey with Lorenzo Fortunato. At the bottom of the last climb, we realized that we were the two strongest.”
The tactical alliance between Scaroni and Fortunato exemplified modern cycling’s strategic complexity. The arrangement between the teammates had been struck earlier in the stage, with Fortunato sacrificing personal glory to consolidate his King of the Mountains jersey while allowing his teammate to claim the emotional win.
“Even before the last hill, we spoke and it was agreed that I would have won the stage if it came down to that because he had already consolidated the jersey,” Scaroni continued. “He’s a man true to his words because towards the end, my legs were destroyed, nonetheless he waited for me. I can’t do else than thank him for the rest of my life.”
Behind the Italian celebration, the general classification was beginning to shift in ways that would prove decisive. Isaac Del Toro, who had held the maglia rosa with the confidence of youth, found himself under pressure for the first time. The 21-year-old Mexican admitted to struggling: “I didn’t have the best legs of my life but that wasn’t an excuse. I did my best with the energy I had.”
The stage proved a test of nerves for race leader Del Toro, who showed his first signs of vulnerability but managed to retain the pink jersey despite attacks from his closest rivals. Most significantly, this stage saw the effective end of Juan Ayuso’s Giro, as the young Spaniard suffered through crashes and poor form that would eventually force his withdrawal from the race. The elimination of pre-race favorites narrowed the Giro’s narrative to a select group of protagonists, with Del Toro’s advantage over Simon Yates reduced to just 26 seconds.
Stage 16 Results:
- Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) – 5h35’05”
- Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team) – same time
- Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe) at 55″
General Classification After Stage 16:
- Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) at 26″
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) at 31″
- Derek Gee (Israel – Premier Tech) at 1’31”
- Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) at 2’40”
Official Jerseys After Stage 16:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by IUMAN – Intimissimi Uomo – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, in collaboration with Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale and ITA – Italian Trade Agency – Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, born after 01/01/2000, sponsored by Conad – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Stage 17: Del Toro’s Masterstroke Victory in Bormio
If Stage 16 had raised questions about Del Toro’s vulnerability, Stage 17 from San Michele all’Adige to Bormio provided his emphatic answer. The young Mexican didn’t just win the stage—he won it in style, extending his lead and demonstrating the kind of tactical acumen that belied his age.
Del Toro’s response to adversity was emphatic and immediate. The 155-kilometer mountain stage to Bormio showcased Del Toro’s evolution from promising talent to race leader. When attacks came on the notorious Mortirolo pass, he was ready. “With the team, we expected some attacks to take place on the Mortirolo. We didn’t want to let all the GC riders go. I went across to them and I took it easy a bit. I caught them in the descent.”
But it was Del Toro’s final move that truly impressed—a devastating attack 1.6 kilometers from the finish that demonstrated the tactical sophistication that would make him such a formidable opponent. “We had made this plan with the team that I would attack on the last small climb,” he revealed. “When I saw a gap, I went all in to the finish line.”
The victory in Bormio represented a masterpiece of tactical execution. After responding to attacks by Giulio Pellizzari and Richard Carapaz on the Mortirolo, Del Toro bridged to lone leader Romain Bardet before launching his own attack, greeting the crowd with the same celebratory salute he had perfected at Milano-Torino earlier this year.
The victory was historically significant on multiple levels. Del Toro became only the second Mexican to win a Giro stage, following Julio Alberto Perez Cuapio’s victories in 2001 and 2002. At 21, he was the youngest stage winner in the maglia rosa since Giuseppe Saronni in 1979, underlining the historical significance of his achievement.
For veteran Romain Bardet, finishing second, it was a bittersweet moment in what would be his final Giro participation before retirement. The Frenchman’s fourth second-place finish at the Giro—never a victory—symbolized the cruel margins that define professional cycling and highlighted the respect Del Toro had earned among the peloton’s established stars.
“I had a bad day yesterday but that happens to anybody in cycling,” Del Toro reflected with maturity beyond his years. “That made everything better today. The team is always there for me so trying to win today was the least I could do in this position.”
Stage 17 Results:
- Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) – 3h58’48”
- at 4″
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) – same time
General Classification After Stage 17:
- Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) at 41″
- Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) at 51″
- Derek Gee (Israel – Premier Tech) at 1’57”
- Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) at 3’06”
Official Jerseys After Stage 17:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by IUMAN – Intimissimi Uomo – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, in collaboration with Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale and ITA – Italian Trade Agency – Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, born after 01/01/2000, sponsored by Conad – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Stage 18: Denz Claims Emotional Victory for Fallen Teammates
The 144-kilometer transitional stage to Cesano Maderno provided a brief respite from general classification drama while delivering one of the Giro’s most emotionally charged victories. Nico Denz of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe soloed to victory in a performance dedicated to his teammates Jai Hindley and Primož Roglič.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe had entered the Giro with high hopes, built around the formidable duo of Jai Hindley and Primož Roglič. Both riders had crashed out, leaving their teammates to salvage what they could from the wreckage of their campaign. Denz’s victory from a 37-rider breakaway represented more than mere stage success—it embodied the resilience and loyalty that defines professional cycling’s brotherhood.
“This is probably the most emotional of my victories at the Giro,” Denz said through tears. “Losing Jai Hindley early then the whole team, staff included, was fully committed to help Primož Roglič win the Giro. We spent two months in altitude for that. I was three months away from home to prepare for the Giro. A dream was lost when we lost Primož. To win here today on Father’s Day, that’s for papa.”
The German rider’s attack with 19 kilometers remaining was born of necessity and tactical intuition. “Before I attacked with 19km to go, I felt that the group wasn’t working well anymore,” he explained. “When I came through this one corner, I got a small gap and I went full gas. I knew that if the rider behind me didn’t close that gap, they’d look at each other and I had a chance to stay away.”
The victory was the 300th in the team’s history, a milestone achieved by a domestique rather than a designated leader—a testament to the unpredictable nature of professional cycling and the psychological challenges facing teams whose Grand Tour ambitions crumble early.
For Del Toro, the stage represented a moment of crisis management as his support structure continued to weaken. With both Juan Ayuso and Jay Vine having abandoned due to crashes and illness, UAE Team Emirates XRG found themselves increasingly isolated. “Personally I feel it’s a big loss and not the best situation to continue the Giro without Juan Ayuso and Jay Vine,” Del Toro acknowledged. “But we’ll manage the situation with the team.”
Stage 18 Results:
- Nico Denz (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe) – 3h12’07”
- Mirco Maestri (Team Polti VisitMalta) at 1’01”
- Edward Planckaert (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – same time
General Classification After Stage 18:
- Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) at 41″
- Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) at 51″
- Derek Gee (Israel – Premier Tech) at 1’57”
- Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) at 3’06”
Official Jerseys After Stage 18:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by IUMAN – Intimissimi Uomo – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, in collaboration with Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale and ITA – Italian Trade Agency – Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, born after 01/01/2000, sponsored by Conad – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Stage 19: Prodhomme Triumphs as Pressure Mounts on Del Toro
The penultimate mountain stage to Champoluc saw Nicolas Prodhomme claim France’s second victory of the race, but the real drama unfolded behind as Del Toro showed the first serious cracks in his armor during a fierce battle with Richard Carapaz.
Prodhomme’s victory from the day’s breakaway provided a fairytale ending for the French rider, whose patient approach had finally paid dividends in the shadow of the Alps. “I’ve worked a lot for this Giro d’Italia. I didn’t want to compete for the GC, I wanted to try and win a stage,” Prodhomme explained. “I’ve waited for long for this win to come. I won my first race three weeks ago. But to win in the WorldTour at the Giro d’Italia makes me very happy.”
The Frenchman’s attack on the Col de Joux was a calculated risk based on his tactical reading of the breakaway’s dynamics. “The two times I came fifth in stages of this Giro, I saw the winner taking the risk to lose,” he reflected. “The gap between our breakaway and the bunch wasn’t big and I was sure that some GC favourites would attack, that’s why I took the risk to go early on col de Joux.”
Behind, the general classification battle was intensifying in ways that would prove decisive. Richard Carapaz’s late attack found only the young Mexican able to respond, but the effort visibly cost the race leader, who crossed the line with the glazed expression of a rider at his limit. Del Toro’s ability to follow and then out-sprint Carapaz for second place demonstrated both his tactical awareness and his growing confidence, but also revealed his vulnerability.
“In first place I was surprised not to see more attacks but I understood the wind was making them difficult from far out,” Del Toro analyzed with characteristic maturity. “It was sometimes head wind, sometimes tailwind. There’s also the damage in the legs from the whole day and the past few weeks.”
For Simon Yates, watching from third place and now 1’21” behind, the signs were encouraging. The Briton had ridden conservatively through the stage, preserving energy for what he sensed would be the decisive battle on the following day’s queen stage. With just one mountain stage remaining, the stage was set for a dramatic finale that would rewrite cycling history.
Stage 19 Results:
- Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale Team) – 4h50’35”
- Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) at 58″
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) – same time
General Classification After Stage 19:
- Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) at 43″
- Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) at 1’21”
- Derek Gee (Israel – Premier Tech) at 2’27”
- Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) at 3’36”
Official Jerseys After Stage 19:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by IUMAN – Intimissimi Uomo – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, in collaboration with Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale and ITA – Italian Trade Agency – Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, born after 01/01/2000, sponsored by Conad – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Stage 20: The Queen Stage – Yates’s Redemption on the Colle delle Finestre
If cycling were scripted, no screenwriter would dare craft the drama that unfolded on Stage 20 from Biella to Sestriere. The 205-kilometer queen stage, featuring the mythical Colle delle Finestre, would rewrite the Giro’s narrative in the most spectacular fashion imaginable, delivering one of the most dramatic reversals in Giro d’Italia history.
For Simon Yates, Colle delle Finestre held profound personal significance that transcended mere sporting achievement. It was here, seven years earlier, that his dreams of Giro glory had been shattered in the most public and devastating manner possible. Leading the 2018 race by over four minutes, Yates had imploded on this very climb, finishing 38 minutes and 51 seconds behind stage winner Chris Froome. The mountain had become a symbol of his greatest failure, a psychological barrier that had haunted him ever since.
“Since the route of the Giro was released, I always had at the back of my mind to try something on this climb that defined my career so far,” Yates would later reveal. The seed of redemption had been planted months earlier, during the winter route presentation in Milan, when he saw Colle delle Finestre marked on the stage profile.
The 205-kilometer stage featured the fearsome Colle delle Finestre, where Yates had spectacularly collapsed in 2018. Seven years later, the same climb would become the stage for his greatest triumph, but the tactical execution that made it possible began long before the decisive move.
The stage began conservatively, with Chris Harper establishing himself in the day’s breakaway. The Australian, riding for Team Jayco AlUla, was a former teammate of Yates and understood the Briton’s capabilities better than most. His presence in the break would prove crucial to the day’s outcome, but it was another breakaway rider who would prove even more significant.
The presence of Wout van Aert in the day’s breakaway was no accident—it was a tactical masterstroke that exemplified Team Visma-Lease a Bike’s strategic sophistication. The Belgian superstar had infiltrated the escape group with the specific purpose of providing support should his leader make his move on the climb, demonstrating the kind of forward planning that separates cycling’s elite teams from the rest.
As the peloton approached the base of Colle delle Finestre, Del Toro appeared in control. His UAE team had managed the early part of the race professionally, and the young Mexican seemed poised to defend his jersey through one final examination. The tactical narrative seemed straightforward—defend, survive, and celebrate in Rome.
Then, with 15 kilometers of climbing remaining on the Finestre’s notorious gravel roads, Yates launched what initially appeared to be a desperate attack. Instead, it proved to be a masterpiece of calculated aggression, executed at precisely the moment when his rivals showed their first signs of weakness.
It wasn’t an explosive attack in the traditional sense. Instead, Yates simply lifted his pace, a gradual acceleration that initially seemed manageable. Del Toro and Carapaz followed, along with the other general classification contenders. But as the kilometers ticked by on the punishing gravel roads, the gap began to open with inexorable precision.
“I was trying to get away knowing that I could hold a high pace,” Yates explained in the post-stage press conference. “I felt really good today, I was able to push all the way to the top and with Wout van Aert in the valley, once I got there I had to do my things.”
The beauty of Yates’s attack lay in its simplicity and sustainability. Rather than risking everything on a single explosive move, he had chosen to gradually turn the screw, applying pressure that his rivals simply couldn’t match over the sustained duration of the climb. It was tactical patience perfected—the culmination of years of experience and the wisdom that comes from previous failures.
Del Toro, who had shown such maturity throughout the race, finally cracked under the relentless pressure. The young Mexican, who had seemed untouchable just hours earlier, was paying the price for eleven days of leadership and the accumulated fatigue of defending the maglia rosa. As Yates powered away, the time gaps grew with each pedal stroke, transforming what had been a 1’21” deficit into what would become a 3’56” advantage.
“I’m not sure if I attacked at the same place I struggled in 2018,” Yates mused, but the symbolism was unmistakable and historically perfect. Where he had once suffered his greatest defeat, he was now orchestrating his greatest triumph, conquering not just his rivals but his own psychological demons.
As Yates crested the summit of Colle delle Finestre, he found Wout van Aert waiting in the valley below, perfectly positioned to provide support for the descent and flat run to Sestriere. The collaboration between the two Visma-Lease a Bike riders was seamless, their decades of combined professional experience evident in every pedal stroke as they worked together to maximize the time gap to their pursuers.
“Once I got there I had to do my things,” Yates said, describing the moment he joined van Aert. The tactical sophistication of their collaboration demonstrated why Team Visma-Lease a Bike had emerged as cycling’s dominant force, their ability to execute complex race plans setting new standards for modern tactics.
Meanwhile, Chris Harper was conducting his own masterclass at the front of the race. The Australian had soloed clear from the original breakaway group with 43 kilometers remaining, a move that perfectly complemented his former teammate’s ambitions while pursuing his own stage victory.
“When we started that climb, Lidl-Trek set a hard pace,” Harper recalled. “When Rémi Rochas went, I followed him, then another group came across and I jumped from there. Only one guy [Alessandro Verre] was able to follow, but I preferred to climb at my own pace.”
Harper’s tactical intelligence was evident in his pacing strategy, maintaining enough of a lead to secure stage victory while not interfering with the larger narrative unfolding behind. “I kept my effort under control in order to not exploding so I would have enough left to go to the finish,” he explained. “My sport directors kept me updated so I knew Simon Yates had a decent gap.”
The final kilometers to Sestriere were a study in controlled power and tactical execution. Harper maintained his lead to claim a thoroughly deserved stage victory, his first professional win in Europe since 2019. Behind him, Yates rolled across the line in third place, but it was his gap to the former race leaders that told the real story and rewrote Grand Tour history.
In the space of a single stage, Yates had accomplished one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Grand Tour history—transforming a deficit of 1 minute 21 seconds into a lead of 3 minutes 56 seconds over Del Toro, with Carapaz now 4 minutes 43 seconds behind. It was the largest single-day swing in general classification placings in recent Giro history.
“In the last few hundred meters I realised what I’d done and I started feeling my legs,” Yates admitted. “Although I had a big gap, I didn’t believe I was going to win the Giro. I needed to believe in myself. In the end, I managed to do something there.”
The psychological impact of the performance was perhaps even more significant than the impressive time gaps. Yates had not just won the stage in the traditional sense—he had conquered his greatest demon, transforming the climb that had once symbolized his limitations into the scene of his greatest triumph.
For Del Toro, the collapse was as sudden as it was devastating. The young Mexican, who had led the race for eleven consecutive days and seemed destined for victory, crossed the line with the expression of a rider who had given everything but found it wasn’t enough. His post-stage comments revealed a maturity that suggested this would not be his only opportunity at Grand Tour glory, but couldn’t mask the immediate disappointment.
Stage 20 Results:
- Chris Harper (Team Jayco AlUla) – 5h27’29”
- Alessandro Verre (Arkéa – B&B Hotels) at 1’49”
- Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) at 1’57”
General Classification After Stage 20:
- Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) at 3’56”
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) at 4’43”
- Derek Gee (Israel – Premier Tech) at 6’23”
- Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) at 7’32”
Official Jerseys After Stage 20:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by IUMAN – Intimissimi Uomo – Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, in collaboration with Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale and ITA Italian Trade Agency – Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, born after 01/01/2000, sponsored by Conad – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Stage 21: Yates Celebrates in Rome as Kooij Claims Final Stage
The ceremonial final stage through the streets of Rome provided a fitting conclusion to one of the most dramatic Giros in recent memory, with Olav Kooij’s sprint victory adding a final flourish to Team Visma-Lease a Bike’s perfect weekend while the cycling world celebrated one of sport’s greatest redemption stories.
The stage began with a moment of profound emotion and historical significance as Pope Leo XIV blessed the riders during their passage through Vatican City. “It is a pleasure to greet you on this final stage of the Giro d’Italia,” the Pope declared. “Know that you are role models for young people around the world.”
The moment was not lost on Yates, who would later describe it as “unforgettable.” For a rider who had endured so much heartbreak in his pursuit of Grand Tour glory, the papal blessing seemed to symbolize a higher recognition of his journey and the spiritual dimension of his redemption story.
Kooij’s victory in the Circus Maximus sprint represented the perfect conclusion to his team’s dominant final weekend. The Dutch sprinter’s third Giro stage victory demonstrated the depth of talent within the Visma-Lease a Bike squad and completed a perfect tactical performance that had begun on the slopes of Colle delle Finestre.
“We couldn’t wish for a better final weekend,” Kooij said. “Yesterday it was really amazing for the team. Today I just used everything that was left in the legs.”
For Yates, the processional nature of the final stage allowed time for reflection on what had been achieved and the magnitude of his accomplishment. Standing atop the podium in Rome, maglia rosa draped across his shoulders, the Briton embodied cycling’s capacity for redemption and the power of perseverance.
“This is my year,” Yates declared in his victory speech. “I don’t have the bad luck I’ve had in the past. It was an incredible start today, when I realized we were going to stop at Vatican City. To get the blessing of the Pope will remain an unforgettable moment.”
Del Toro’s second-place finish, while disappointing after leading for so long, represented a remarkable achievement for the 21-year-old that announced him as a future Grand Tour contender. “I’m 21 years old, which means one year for each stage of this Giro,” he said with characteristic poise. “I’m super happy to stand on the final podium, also a bit disappointed because it wasn’t nice to lose on the last mountain stage. But I’m proud of all my race.”
Richard Carapaz’s third-place finish added another Grand Tour podium to the Ecuadorian’s impressive palmares, demonstrating the continued strength of the 2019 Giro winner. “It’s been a beautiful experience fighting with all my strengths,” Carapaz reflected. “This Giro has been something fantastic. I don’t know if it could have been better for me. I gave everything I had.”
Stage 21 Results:
- Olav Kooij (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – 3h14’22”
- Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – same time
- Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) – same time
- Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) – same time
- Fernando Gaviria (Movistar Team) – same time
- Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) – same time
- Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) – same time
- Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) – same time
- Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – same time
- Danny van Poppel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) – same time
Final General Classification:
- Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – 85h23’53”
- Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) at 3’56”
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) at 4’43”
- Derek Gee (Israel – Premier Tech) at 6’23”
- Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) at 7’32”
- Romain Bardet (Team Picnic PostNL) at 9’13”
- Georg Steinhauser (EF Education – EasyPost) at 11’06”
- Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe) at 14’00”
- Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team) at 16’45”
- Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) at 18’22”
Final Official Jersey Classifications:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by IUMAN – Intimissimi Uomo – Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, in collaboration with Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale and ITA Italian Trade Agency – Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, born after 01/01/2000, sponsored by Conad – Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
The Broader Significance and Historical Context
Yates’s victory carried profound historical significance that extended far beyond mere statistics and established new benchmarks for tactical excellence in Grand Tour racing. He became the first rider to win the Giro d’Italia without finishing in the top two of any stage since Ivan Gotti in 1999, highlighting the tactical patience and consistency that defined his campaign—a testament to the evolution of modern Grand Tour strategy.
The triumph also completed Team Visma-Lease a Bike’s Grand Tour collection, establishing the Dutch squad as cycling’s dominant force across all three major races. Their strategic sophistication, exemplified by van Aert’s breakaway support role and the team’s ability to execute complex tactical plans under pressure, set new standards for modern race tactics and demonstrated the importance of depth and versatility in Grand Tour success.
The 2025 Giro d’Italia marked a changing of the guard in professional cycling, with young riders like Del Toro sharing the spotlight with established stars like Yates in a narrative that spanned generations. The race showcased cycling’s increasingly international character, with riders from Mexico, Ecuador, Britain, and across Europe contributing to a truly global spectacle.
For Italian cycling, the Giro provided mixed emotions that reflected the current state of the sport in its traditional heartland. While Christian Scaroni’s emotional stage victory ended a painful 17-stage drought and provided hope for the future, no Italian rider challenged for overall victory, continuing a troubling trend for the race’s host nation. However, Lorenzo Fortunato’s dominant victory in the King of the Mountains competition highlighted the continued strength of Italian climbing tradition.
The Italian resurgence, symbolized by Scaroni’s victory and the all-Italian celebration on Stage 16, provided a reminder of cycling’s deep roots in the peninsula while highlighting the work still needed to return Italian cycling to its former glory. Mads Pedersen’s wire-to-wire victory in the points classification represented another kind of consistency, the Danish rider’s ability to maintain his advantage from the opening stage in Sicily to the conclusion in Rome demonstrating the tactical intelligence required for specialized jersey competitions.
But perhaps most significantly, the 2025 Giro served as a powerful reminder of cycling’s capacity for redemption stories and the sport’s romantic traditions. In an era often dominated by data analysis and scientific precision, Yates’s victory was a throwback to cycling’s more emotional narratives—a reminder that heart, courage, tactical intelligence, and perfect timing can still triumph over pure physical superiority.
“I’ve found myself again during this Giro,” Yates reflected in his final interview, capturing the personal transformation that had paralleled his sporting triumph. “Since the route of the Giro was released, I always had at the back of my mind to try something on this climb that defined my career so far. I needed to believe in myself. In the end, I managed to do something there. In this very moment, it’s hard to say what it means, but it’s the peak of my career, I don’t think any other moment tops this.”
The tactical brilliance of Yates’s campaign lay not just in the execution of his decisive move, but in the patience and strategic thinking that preceded it. By waiting until the final mountain stage to make his move, he had maximized the psychological pressure on his rivals while minimizing their opportunities to respond—a masterclass in Grand Tour tactics that will be studied for years to come.
The 2025 Giro d’Italia ultimately proved that in cycling, as in life, the greatest victories often emerge from the ashes of past defeats. Seven years after his spectacular collapse had become one of cycling’s most infamous moments, Yates had returned to that same mountain and emerged victorious, transforming a symbol of failure into the foundation of his greatest triumph.
As the sun set over Rome on June 1st, 2025, Simon Yates stood as living proof that in cycling, as in life, it’s never too late for redemption. The boy from Bury who had traveled the world in pursuit of cycling glory had finally found it on the slopes where his dreams had once died, proving that sometimes the most beautiful stories are written not in victory, but in the courage to return to the places where we have failed.
The Giro d’Italia had once again proven why it remains cycling’s most beautiful and unpredictable Grand Tour, capable of breaking hearts and fulfilling dreams in equal measure. For Simon Yates, the pink jersey finally fit perfectly—not just in size, but in the knowledge that it had been earned through perseverance, tactical brilliance, and the kind of courage that transforms defeat into the foundation of ultimate triumph.
