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

[Panda Claws]

As an obvious example, Alberto Contador gifted Paolo Tiralongo - a former teammate of his - his first career win in the 2011 Giro. Paolo Tiralongo, having been in the breakaway that day before the Saxo raid, helped pace Contador on his Fuente Dé raid a year and a half later. Nevermind that Tiralongo would have acquired that stage win in retrospect with Contador's removal later, he wouldn't have got to raise his hands in celebration on home turf. Yes, he later won another Giro stage, but at the time he was an 11-year pro without a single career win to his name who had just been caught in the final kilometre by a guy who was already dominating the race.

Oftentimes money changes hands, favours are promised to be cashed in in future, or are dealt out by the team car (take for example the 2010 Tour stage over Madeleine, where riders in the breakaway were instructed not to interfere with Jérôme Pineau's KOM points collection to ensure a Frenchman wore a jersey into Bastille Day - the fact that Anthony Charteau took pains to roll over second behind him played a key role in his winning the polka dots over Christophe Moreau, also in the break that day, who tried to contest the jersey but was not allowed up the road in the queen stage due to RadioShack and Caisse d'Épargne duelling over the Teams Classification). Or sometimes it's just spite - Movistar chasing down Carapaz in 2020 to ensure Roglič stayed ahead in a message to Acquadro about his bad faith dealings that had alienated them at the time, for example - or David Millar bewailing that the péloton usually didn't respond to a Garmin rider going up the road in 2009-11 but if it was him the break would usually be doomed. Or Fabian Cancellara doing a huge turn on the front to pull back a break only 200m from the line. for no sprinter in particular, in the 2013 Vuelta solely because he was very petty about Tony Martin being better than him at that point in time.

Your encyclopedical knowledge of cycling never ceases to amaze.

 

[yaco]

The stage was shades of th 2018 Finestre stage in that day Lopez and Carapaz who were in the Dmoulin cahse group were chasing the white jersey and refused to work with each other or the group. So Carapaz has form in this area.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Well, it's likely he loses anyway becuase it looked to me like Yates was just the strongest.

I would say that because of EFs crazy pace the first kilometer and Carapaz nuclear attack while Yates rodes his own pace there at the beginning it is almost impossible to determine if Yates actually was clearly stronger or not. The way Carapaz and Del Toro rode afterwards, with multiple massive attacks and a couple of almost stand stills, a 1min 40s gap honestly isnt that much everything taken into consideration.

 

[Red Rick]

I would say that because of EFs crazy pace the first kilometer and Carapaz nuclear attack while Yates rodes his own pace there at the beginning it is almost impossible to determine if Yates actually was clearly stronger or not. The way Carapaz and Del Toro rode afterwards, with multiple massive attacks and a couple of almost stand stills, a 1min 40s gap honestly isnt that much everything taken into consideration.

The amount of surges slowed down very drastically after Yates was gone and Carapaz almost closed it. Carapaz tried to do a consistent tempo grinding him off his wheel and he was just losing time until he stopped. I think he had enough relative recovery after that to recover before he attacked on the gravel and barely took back time.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

I can see all of that. But regardless of strategy and conservation of his resources, I don't see how he takes back 40" or whatever it was yesterday, given what both he and Del Toro had in their legs. Yes, he could have stayed ahead of Yates, but why would that matter to him?

Have to admit I was convinced Carapaz was able to break the fences for Del Toro up Finistre. And I don't think EF tactics pre-stage could've been much different, except yelling in his ears that he had to save every tiny bit in his bag for the decisive climb. Was surprised to see Del Toro defend every single attack with managed bridging. Was sure there would be a bill to pay after his many sticks burned during plenty stages during this Giro edition.

 

[Escarabajo]

Actually, I believe Del Toro would have won the race. Yes, I know everything—and I mean everything—went Simon’s way: EF and UAE refusing to control the break, UAE not sending anyone up the road like Visma did, and EF going absolutely bananas at the base of an 18 km, 9% climb—that was always a baffling move. Then there's Carapaz launching attacks (which is his style, but on Stage 16 he was more calculated), and Del Toro refusing to take even a single pull during the climb—seriously? I get that it’s his strategy, but no one in their right mind should have let Simon go that easily. And worst of all, not taking a single pull from the top of Finestre to Sestriere—on terrain that suited him perfectly—was incredibly frustrating. The least he could’ve done was help Carapaz, regardless of Wout being up the road. If you're racing to win, you don’t just give up. You can’t. What are they supposed to say—“Wout’s ahead, we’ve lost, so we’re just going to sit up”? Come on. That’s not how true contenders race.

Everything unfolded like a script for Simon. It begs the question: if even one of these things hadn’t gone his way, who would’ve won? In my opinion, it’s Del Toro.

Some podcasters mentioned Simon was on his greatest day. Fair enough. But you can’t tell me with certainty that if Del Toro had contributed just a bit—helped once or twice during those attacks—they wouldn’t have reeled Simon in. That might’ve broken his spirit. People say Del Toro was at his limit, but two minutes later, he’s shutting down every Carapaz move. I’m not saying his approach was completely wrong, but I don’t buy for a second that he was on the limit—not then, and not on the descent either. Come one man, you have to at least make a couple of pulls.

That’s just my take. Honestly, it sometimes feels like UAE relies purely on brute force. Pogacar can afford tactical mistakes simply because he’s so overwhelmingly strong.

All that said—chapeau to Simon and to Visma. At least they had a plan and executed it to perfection. That was incredible. Real cinema.

Just my two cents.

 

[Escarabajo]

Thoma's take says it all. And coming from Thomas:

'Baffling' - Geraint Thomas confused by how final crunch stage of Giro d'Italia played out

2024 and 2023 Giro d'Italia podium finisher nonplussed by Del Toro's strategy after Simon Yates attacked on last mountains stage

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[Oldman]

Lemond was told to follow Roche to preserve the 1-2.

What happened was Lemond got bad info that he was several minutes ahead when he was in reality a whole 1:15 ahead at the Tourmalet summit. Lemond was never in the virtual yellow on the Luz Ardiden stage

Lemond's feat was equally calculated and heroic. Le Blaireu was roasted later, I think. Another heroic and retributive moment. Yates deserves his retribution/salvation for the last Giro.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

The amount of surges slowed down very drastically after Yates was gone and Carapaz almost closed it. Carapaz tried to do a consistent tempo grinding him off his wheel and he was just losing time until he stopped. I think he had enough relative recovery after that to recover before he attacked on the gravel and barely took back time.

Sounds very unrealistic to me that the «recovery» sitting on the wheel of Derek Gee on a 9% climb comes anywhere close to balance out that insane first effort and a significant number of other efforts getting deep into the red zone.

 

[Cycling111]

Thoma's take says it all. And coming from Thomas:

'Baffling' - Geraint Thomas confused by how final crunch stage of Giro d'Italia played out

2024 and 2023 Giro d'Italia podium finisher nonplussed by Del Toro's strategy after Simon Yates attacked on last mountains stage

www.cyclingnews.com

G lost a Giro by not attacking.
If Almeida hadn't attacked, nor would they have realized Roglic was in bad shape.
The difference is that Thomas was an experienced rider.

Del Toro made a mistake, the situation overwhelmed him. But, I think Simon was the stronger man yesterday.

Del Toro easily countered Carapaz's early attacks, but in the final attacks, a small gap opened up and he struggled to close it.

I remember the day of San Pellegrino when Del Toro left in a group with Carapaz and Bernal.
Ayuso couldn't continue and stayed with Yates and Roglic.

UAE, in order to avoid losing Ayuso, gave up that option. We didn't know, but they already knew Ayuso was in very bad shape.
Ayuso said he was in bad shape and that what happened in the third week was awaiting him.

That day, the UAE started with its many mistakes. Once again, for not defining the race roles well, even when the leader was in bad shape.
On the last day, they didn't put anyone in front, like the day of Granon when they left Pogacar alone against 4 Jumbo.

UAE is a disaster. Pogacar is very good, having won 4 GTs with that team, while at Visma, it's becoming clear that they can win with several riders.

 

[Eagle_Alps]

People say Del Toro was at his limit, but two minutes later, he’s shutting down every Carapaz move. I’m not saying his approach was completely wrong, but I don’t buy for a second that he was on the limit—not then, and not on the descent either. Come one man, you have to at least make a couple of pulls.

Exactly. "Afraid of going into the red?" I don't buy it either. He was responding to Carapaz by riding faster than anyone else, including S.Yates

 

[Extinction]

In the end, Simon was 5 minutes faster than the best time on Finestre (Froome 2018), so if Carapaz and Del Toro would have worked well together, maybe they could have come within 30-40 secs to Yates, but there was still the problem of Van Aert. Anyway you look at it, Yates did an incredible performance. Pogacaresque I'd say.

 

[elguapo]

Of course one has to ask the question if Carapaz had not attacked at the bottom of the Finestre what would Yates have done.. Rode at a high pace and dropped del Toro on the Finestre ?

I think Yates was great yesterday but I dont think Carapz was much weaker if at all. He just tired himself out with explosive attacks and couldnt catch Yates who also had WVA and he may or may not have needed him but the psychological advantage was immense

So if Carapaz had not attacked he and yates may have dropped del Toro and then he could have stay on Yates and won ?

Of course this is speculation and it was Simon Yates time and he deserved it but I think Carapaz was very strong too . The 3 main protagonists were very well matched in strength but not in style and that was what made the race so unpredictable

Simon Yates suicide attack was planned. The presence of Wout in the break was part of it. Yates did some "island hopping" until he bridged up to waiting Wout who in turn pedaled his heart out in fron of their GC man. That's how the coaching staff at the Dutch team works. They replicated almost the same scenario when Vingo put the hammer down on Pog.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

In the end, Simon was 5 minutes faster than the best time on Finestre (Froome 2018), so if Carapaz and Del Toro would have worked well together, maybe they could have come within 30-40 secs to Yates, but there was still the problem of Van Aert. Anyway you look at it, Yates did an incredible performance. Pogacaresque I'd say.

He was about one minute faster than Pablo Torres.

Froome's time was, I believe, the slowest time that was a fastest on the day in the previous Giro uses of the climb.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I think there was a collective failure of UAE and EF before they get neat to Finestre to not keep the gap to the break short enough that Van Aert would be caught before he could be as influential as he was. If Yates had caught up with him on the limb, he would have made far less impact (and of course, if he had been reached while Yates was accompanied by either of the other podium riders, he would have been utterly irrelevant).

Neither Carapaz nor Del Toro would obviously have lost out on a pact to work together from the moment Yates got away until they reached either Yates or the bottom of the Sestriere climb. Difficult to see anything other than mistrust and pride between the pair of them standing in the way of that.

If Carapaz didn't believe he had the ability to get away decisively from Del Toro, and Del Toro doesn't believe he could have cooperated with Carapaz without blowing up, then it seems that neither of them had enough belief in themselves to think that they should have won the race. Self fulfilling prophesy.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

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