Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia 2025 stage 20: Verrès – Sestrière, 205 km

[search]

He got sick. Racing aggressively early in the Giro was probably not ideal for the third week, but with the illness it wouldn’t have mattered if he had raced more conservative or not.

well, it's hard to say. Of course it can be some random sickness, but often riders get sick in week 3 because the body can't cope with the efforts anymore. Dumoulin was "sick" as well when he lost the Vuelta on the penultimate day

 

[Extinction]

That's the thing, their (EF) doms can't ensure that as we've seen all Giro long. If the were to "pace" the first half of the climb "hard", the GC group would've been 20 riders deep with probably 4 UAE doms. In no way is that a better scenario for Carapaz than what they did instead.
As for "underestimating" Yates, I think he was at no point in the race in a position to over or underestimate Yates as he always would've had to get rid of Del Toro first. Letting Yates go was not underestimating him, it was his only way to win at all that moment in the race. Which is beside the point that Yates was just stronger today and is overall the rider with the ability of producing a better climbing performance, just less consistent.

I think on a long steep climb like Finestre it's imperative to manage your effort well. Carapaz needed to get rid of Del Toro of course, but not doing so after trying so early ended his chance of winning. Even if his team was too weak to set a hard pace, at least it could have tried to put some more fatigue in Del Toro's legs, before Carapaz launched his attack. Moreover, Yates could not just sit back and watch and could have used Kruijswik to contribute to setting the pace. Then maybe Yates/Carapaz goes off that further up the climbs when the legs are getting tired. It's undeniable that, as it actually played out, Carapaz neither won the Giro nor held his second place. I do question, however, why Del Toro didn't try to attack him and have a chance at preserving his lead. I think the Mexican had to try something, but chose not to more than not being able. In the end, the most intelligent rider got away.

 

[Poursuivant]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1928894936583160073

View: https://x.com/VelonCC/status/1928894936583160073

 

[red_flanders]

Carapaz clearly did when he got to 20 secs to Yates, but didn't have the energy to close. At that point Del Toro staying on the wheel made no sense. That's when he should have tried to leave Carapaz behind and catch Yates. If he had the energy, but chose to stay with Carapaz, it was an impardonable mistake.

This is the answer.

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1928830323686560251

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/1928830323686560251

 

[Divergence]

To describe anything Del Toro did as a disaster is just not to know the athlete or good racing.
The misfortune of others was clearly created not by the racers, but by race organizers.
And it's been displayed multiple times, it's clear that you can't use road racing support strategies in gravel racing.
In road bike racing breathing, visibility, mechanical and medical support are basics, not optional or some entertaining hybrid. Race organization should just issue and mandate welders goggles to all riders and support vehicles to limit visibility, why just have only temporary conditions, be more intriguing, if nobody could see from the start.. The one thing that this Giro had was multiple near misses every day in every stage, skinny roads with dangerous vehicle quantities, operation throughout. This Giro showed anyone paying attention that a tragedy is going to happen, that's for certain, when and who will be involved are only things unknown.
UAE experienced part of the hybrid disaster, what do we do when multiple favorites crash in hybrid conditions, what to do.. They sent Del Toro and he delivered that day and for the following weeks, you can have some luck in bike racing, but not 3 weeks worth, guy is the real deal.
And as long as I complaining about race design, TDF making stages intentionally dangerous is stupid.

It was pretty disastrous to not fight for the win. He conceded without giving everything he has.

 

[Red Rick]

There's probably like 30 decisions you have to make when a race like this unfolds, and many of them you can go either way and what not. But to not even pull yourself once you lose the race virtually, especially once you come over the top, isn't even a tactical decision. It's almost up there with MAL ragequitting the Vuelta.

 

[Extinction]

This is the answer.

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, we don't know, because he didn't try. He himself said he was worried about going into the red and losing even second, which to me indicates he had more to give, but was afraid to. I think, however, he had to at least try to save the jersey, especially when you've been the leader for 9 days and one day from Rome.

 

[Lequack]

I just managed to watch the replay of the race finally. And wow what a stage it was, I've been critical of the Giro but this stage surpassed my expectations. It was Froome 2018 all over again.

Who doesn't love a good redemption arc, and Yates has been waiting for a long time. And of course it had to be on the mighty Finestre, the climb that took the win away from him all these years ago, and him repeating what Froome accomplished on that day. It's just a wonderful story and a worthy winner in Simon. Hats off to him, that was a performance for the ages.

And what was the decisive thing in the end was Wout Van Aert. He deserves half the credit for this victory, that was an amazing ride to just actually do the Finestre ahead of Simon, then just bury himself and win this Giro. After all he has been though, this is as much a redemption for him as it is for Simon Yates.

Kudos to the stage winner Harper as well, moster rider from him to win this stage.

 

[Escarabajo]

There's probably like 30 decisions you have to make when a race like this unfolds, and many of them you can go either way and what not. But to not even pull yourself once you lose the race virtually, especially once you come over the top, isn't even a tactical decision. It's almost up there with MAL ragequitting the Vuelta.

I never thought about it like that, but being in pink and not pulling even once? seriously in retrospective has to be high on the ineptitude level.

Del Toro has a problem. This might show up in the future again!

 

[Unchained]

It was pretty disastrous to not fight for the win. He conceded without giving everything he has.

He had to come up with plan C or plan D after he multiple errors. He made exactly the right finishing move 2 days in a row after rookie mistakes. If Carapaz was going to out class him, he had to save his reserves. Did he have the juice to chase down a flying Yates brother? Yates didn't think so, Del Toro didn't think so,
if Del Toro would have gambled on extended chase of Yates, with Wonderful Wout pulling him almost to death ,time gaps were way too close, if Del Toro fails, and blows up, he could end up being lucky for top 10, he did the most with what he had,
Carapaz physically and mentally beaten by 21 year old 2 days in a row. Del Toro with respectable 2nd place in second year, in second grand tour..Carapaz won in 2019 and it keeps eluding him year after year, this year included at 32 years old.
For me he should have been the one going do or die on the chase.. Del Toro had multiple screw ups per day, today included, but for him to adopt what Carapaz considered to be a smart race strategy would be silly.
And it shouldn't be lost on race fans, that Carapaz gave more respect for Del Toro abilities than he did to Yates..Yates..grand tour winner, has GT GC podium, has done 17 grand tours!!
Richard was watching wrong race horse!! Certainly can't blame brand new Del Toro!!

 

[red_flanders]

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, we don't know, because he didn't try. He himself said he was worried about going into the red and losing even second, which to me indicates he had more to give, but was afraid to. I think, however, he had to at least try to save the jersey, especially when you've been the leader for 9 days and one day from Rome.

I think he was on the limit, and his (bolded) statement (I assume it's correct but I haven't heard it yet) maps well to that supposition. You don't want to go into the red with 9k left on Finestre and Sestrieres still to come.

I think if he wasn't on the limit, he'd have done exactly as you suggested, a quick acceleration to drop Carapaz and follow Yates. He'd done that several times when feeling good during this race.

People do get tired in bike races. Tired = mistakes, both physical and mental.

 

[RJH]

Been watching since 1997, and never seen anything like today… Carapaz and del Toro riding like comedians today…

I still cannot believe what I saw. I still believe del Toro was the strongest, but why did he not show it?

 

[noob]

Been watching since 1997, and never seen anything like today… Carapaz and del Toro riding like comedians today…

I still cannot believe what I saw. I still believe del Toro was the strongest, but why did he not show it?

Seeing this stage afterwards was pure comedic gold

 

[AnotherArmChair]

I honestly think del Toro wasnt that bothered ...he came for the podium and was happy with the podium
Same with UAE
He has the talent but has he the killer instinct ???

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Been watching since 1997, and never seen anything like today… Carapaz and del Toro riding like comedians today…

I still cannot believe what I saw. I still believe del Toro was the strongest, but why did he not show it?

Sorry mate. No chance. 3 attacks by Yates all brought back by Carapaz. He broke them on the 4th. If Del Toro was the strongest, he had plenty of opportunities to show it.

 

[Lequack]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJfm7l6anUc

 

[Lequack]

Pic of the Giro

 

[Cycling111]

Gee was 2:40 slower than Simon.

How many watts could that be on Simon?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1928924517608378597

View: https://x.com/ammattipyoraily/status/1928924517608378597

 

[awavey]

I honestly think del Toro wasnt that bothered ...he came for the podium and was happy with the podium
Same with UAE
He has the talent but has he the killer instinct ???

surely not though ? the instinct and impetuousness of youth would be to fail spectacularly trying, not to bother trying at all.

 

[E_F_]

Today (well yesterday in my timezone) will forever be remenbered as "that day Isaac del Toro decided not to win the Giro".

 

[Red Rick]

Today (well yesterday in my timezone) will forever be remenbered as "that day Isaac del Toro decided not to win the Giro".

"Today will be known as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow won the Giro d'Italia"

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

I managed to get through the day with my eyes closed and my ears covered before having a timeslot for watcing this stage. Now right this moment I've just watched the stage in its full wrath.

And just jumped in here on the thread and haven't aligned with the after-talk consensus here about what actually happened on this memorable day, so please bear with me.

So these will be my completely immediate, unfiltered, unthought-out outpourings, here just minutes after letting my eyes watch this.

I'm left paralyzed with a concentrated pot mix roller coaster of emotions along breathtakingly beautiful views, drama, amazement, giggles, excitement, despair, rapture, disbelief, bliss, regret, delight, anguish, ecstasy, devastation and euphoria.

A stage that has hammered itself solidly into the history books.

My cycling pal said it the other day: "Simon Yates is the Zubaldier, except he doesn't finish 10th but takes them all with their pants down". That's the thought I immediately got when he jumped up to Del Toro and Carapaz. Yates seemed like the one who had hidden the most in the bag.
And once I had thought about the idea, and thought about the two fighting brothers, it seemed completely surreal to see it before my eyes - a stray thought that took hold and then developed mercilessly over so much torment.

The #RaboFail curse has finally been lifted.

Now replaced by

#UuAAaEeeerrgh!?
#CaraWhaaz?!

Oh, that was too many words... in reality all I can say is "rrrggh, uurgh. mmmhh,, wtf? rrrrhhuhh" and just striving for watching the entire stage again.

OK, yep! That'll be what I do right now.
I'll rewatch it during the dark winter months anyway.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

OK here at the initial stages, starting watching the stage for the second time in a row, there's room for further considerations.

While things went on before my eyes, thought about how the stage would have ended up, if Mikkel Honoré had not eyed a gap behind, hence a full pull leadout to Carapaz, shortly into Finistre.
After that, it was according to the EF plan to let Carapaz do what he do best; attack Del Toro.
And then the nature of the race and the fiery temper, the situation the two between was locked.
I would venture the claim that Del Toro over 18km Finistre was loosing time, compared to Yates, well helped by non-uniform ride with plenty attacks in Carapaz-Del Toro group, compared to Yates steady full pull to the top.

Ofc Yates got easy seconds in stall mate games down behind. But even when Carapaz pulled over longer sections, Yates pulled away from them where it started to hurt.

But in my eyes, that is the inner logic of the race; Carapaz must use his weapon against Del Toro. He tried hard from the bottom of the climb. He made sure of several counterattacks.

Here it's easy to be wise in hindsight.

I think not only EF but most people expected Del Toro to crack up Finistre with bombardmrns of Carapaz attacks. Should EF really have invested in driving a bus for Del Toro to the throne until the last 2-3 kilometers of Finistre? Knowing that UAE would very well have the upper hand afterwards towards Sestrieres?

 

[noob]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJfm7l6anUc

I must say as a side note it's a little fun to watch Broe trying to air a podcast while simultaneously being the DS of the team that just won the giro (possibly because his tactics (who knows?))