Giro d'Italia 2025 spoilers

[Pblakeney]

I simply cannot believe what I watched this afternoon. I mean, chapeau to Yates and Visma for a perfect execution but wtf were Del Toro and UAE playing at? Sitting up on the descent? Not chasing on the flat? Gifting the win? It's not as if he was burst, gave his all and was beaten by the stronger rider.
The icing on the cake was the sprint finish and celebrating finishing second. Okay, maybe he wouldn't have caught Simon with WvA but I expect more from the person in the leaders jersey.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

I simply cannot believe what I watched this afternoon. I mean, chapeau to Yates and Visma for a perfect execution but wtf were Del Toro and UAE playing at? Sitting up on the descent? Not chasing on the flat? Gifting the win? It's not as if he was burst, gave his all and was beaten by the stronger rider.
The icing on the cake was the sprint finish and celebrating finishing second. Okay, maybe he wouldn't have caught Simon with WvA but I expect more from the person in the leaders jersey.

See the interview I posted just above. Should Del Toro have gifted the Giro to Carapaz instead, who refused to work after the summit?

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

See the interview I posted just above. Should Del Toro have gifted the Giro to Carapaz instead, who refused to work after the summit?

Tricky one, I get the approach from Del Toro, but this prevailing tactic/fear cyclists have of not dragging others along for fear of losing makes no sense when you are watching the GC disappear up the road. If it was him and Carapaz alone it makes sense, but sitting back when the 3rd place has gone is perplexing. Thinking that his gap to Yates was safe was hopeful and you don't risk it just because you feel the time gap is safe, that is poor decision making.

I agree, talented guy with a great outlook and maturity, but he was there to win and he has given it away. I am sure he will have good opportunities to win a GT in future, but it is not a guarantee. In the present, he was one stage grom a Giro crown and he missed out. Hope he doesn't come to regret it.

 

[Lanterne Rogue]

See the interview I posted just above. Should Del Toro have gifted the Giro to Carapaz instead, who refused to work after the summit?

Carapaz *might* ambush him in the future, but Yates was *definitely* beating him here and now. Del Toro might never again have to worry about riders thinking he's bluffing, but they'll also never worry that he's going to go all in on actually winning a race.

 

[phreak]

See the interview I posted just above. Should Del Toro have gifted the Giro to Carapaz instead, who refused to work after the summit?

It's the leader's job to chase. Note how many people were saying it was stupid for Gee to sit on the front every time he caught them. Del Toro didn't see wind at all up the climb, so played a big part in Yates getting over 90 seconds by the top. At that point, with one of the best classics riders in the world waiting to pull, that was race over. If they had the energy, they had to close the gap on the climb.

 

[mididoctors]

He's learnt from 2018.

I agree

 

[phreak]

Carapaz *might* ambush him in the future, but Yates was *definitely* beating him here and now. Del Toro might never again have to worry about riders thinking he's bluffing, but they'll also never worry that he's going to go all in on actually winning a race.

I kinda think he was deluded a bit if he thought him pulling on the front would have closed the gap on WvA/Yates in the valley. And especially to close it by a minute. I said earlier, having one of the best classics riders burying themselves on the front versus two climbers who would play games was always a winning proposition. They had to close the gap before the top if they could. I mean goodness, they had Gee pulling for chunks of it, and Carapaz pulled for the rest. For Del Toro to complain about others not working is crazy.

 

[Pblakeney]

See the interview I posted just above. Should Del Toro have gifted the Giro to Carapaz instead, who refused to work after the summit?

I disagree with his assessment. Not that that matters. 😉
Carapaz did all the pulling on the climb and they should have worked together on the descent and the rest. They both lost.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Feel a tiny bit sorry for Chris Harper. Yay, everybody! I won a stage! Yay for me! Everybody? Where is everybody?

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

Yates almost as aero as a brick descending here.

Surely bricks descend quite well? What with them being bricks, and all?

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

More unmanly emotions at the finish.
Stiff upper lip Simon, remember you are English.🥲

Lots of demons being vanquished there. Made my lip wobble a bit

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

I think Carapaz lost it because he's already won it before, and Del Toro lost it because he'll win it in the future

Yates won it because he had to. It was written

 

[mididoctors]

UAE Letting WvA get over the finnestre ahead of the GC race was in hindsight a fatal mistake .... Worse than chasing the break and putting bonus secs back into play

 

[Legs]

Amazing scenes!

 

[mididoctors]

That basic strategic error buried Toros chances and that was a DS team call not to control the break