Giro d'Italia Giro D'Italia 2025 Stage 9: Gubbio – Siena (181km)

[Unchained]

I'm liking this washed up Wout.
I hope Ayuso and Del Toro start infighting.
And Roglic will have to go on the offensive if he wants this. Doing the last 500m sprint at the hilltop ain't gonna cut it. Take a page from your countryman and get aggressive Rogla!
This Giro is looking good, can't wait for the coming 2 weeks!

Del Toro will not be fighting with anyone, teammates or management.
He is very shy, as expected he is most comfortable in Spanish, and can speak respectable Italian after living there for a couple of years. He speaks 2 kinds of English, with people he knows and friends, with no pressure, he is fine. Put a camera and microphone in his face, he gets nervous and shy, doesn't like attention, doesn't like limelight and is overly modest. People are commenting about him looking unhappy, likely he struggling not to be balling his eyes out with tears of joy and over the top excitement about a dream come true!! In Italy no less!! Where Monex had team house based!!
Any stories about Del Toro arguing with anyone, about anything are made up fiction. Not in his DNA,
he has likely argued with Brandon McNulty about getting married in La Paz or Puerto Vallarta instead of Ensenada which is obviously better!!!McNulty is from Phoenix and probably didn't know better!!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

He was allowed to ride, and if it surprises you that he was allowed to do so, then I am wondering what in the world would make you think it would have ever been anything different. Your hate for the team is evident, but this take is ridiculous.

WTF?

I'm disagreeing with the poster who is complaining that van Aert didn't ride like a champion because he didn't collaborate with del Toro.

I'm saying that van Aert would have been an idiot if he had rode like the poster is demanding him to, because he would both increase his chances of winning and his team's by riding like he did today in order to win the stage.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Yes, I am. And I'm aware how he rode, but I can't remember him doing such ride, and there are plenty examples of the opposite, and even on these same roads.

Like in 2022 when he completely messed group 2 cooperation?

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

WTF?

I'm disagreeing with the poster who is complaining that van Aert didn't ride like a champion because he didn't collaborate with del Toro.

I'm saying that van Aert would have been an idiot if he had rode like the poster is demanding him to, because he would both increase his chances of winning and his team's by riding like he did today in order to win the stage.

Sorry, I read it the opposite.

 

[James M]

You are a great champion in any scenario. Wheelsucking to a Wout hater post, playing the field, or being okay with his win for one day. You're an all-arounder.

Aweome, bang one as usual Chew. A solid assessment, if I must say so myself. But you can phrase it differently—Chewbacca, I’m the GXXT, the unstoppable force, and so on but ill take it.

 

[tobydawq]

What cheap shot?
So you really think a champion like Van Aert should be proud of this ride? Cause I don't. Would Van Der Poel do something like this, or Boonen, or Sagan, hell even Valverde in the small groups do his share of work.
And what piss on Yates, he could go on the front doing smaller and weaker turns than Del Toro, time difference would be the same or 10 sec more at most. His ride today was strong, but I wouldn't be proud very much with it.

He literally said he wasn't proud to do it but he had no choice.

And whether or not he should be proud was not what was being discussed.

 

[Rackham]

I think if anyone will be really disappointed after today it'll be Ineos.

Bernal was so so close to an incredible time gain and coup but it all went backwards at the end.

 

[Boehmand]

Yes, I am. And I'm aware how he rode, but I can't remember him doing such ride, and there are plenty examples of the opposite, and even on these same roads.

Dude - Valverde's whole thing was wheelsucking and then punching everyone out on the last 500 metres!

You are making me question my sanity

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Yes, I am. And I'm aware how he rode, but I can't remember him doing such ride, and there are plenty examples of the opposite, and even on these same roads.

There is an entire thread: https://forum.cyclingnews.com/threads/valverde-back-but-wheel-sucking.20474/

 

[Davesta]

Interesting to see people criticise Van Aert for sitting on the front group for many kms because he had one of the Yates brothers in the group behind, and in doing so, rudely beating Del Toro, who spent many kms sitting on the front group because he had one of the Yates brothers in the group behind. Sound logic guys.

 

[memyselfandI]

Omfg me old man in tears, so beautiful win for WVA, after such a hard period. Beautiful fight between him and Del Toro.

Tbo was looking that Del Toro superbow with zipper fully open though (no homo) that gave him a fine, it's a best victory salute of 2020's. It's true.

 

[Blanco]

Like in 2022 when he completely messed group 2 cooperation?

Messed how? He worked in all groups.

 

[tobydawq]

I think if anyone will be really disappointed after today it'll be Ineos.

Bernal was so so close to an incredible time gain and coup but it all went backwards at the end.

Yeah, that was really unfortunate.

 

[Blanco]

He literally said he wasn't proud to do it but he had no choice.

And whether or not he should be proud was not what was being discussed.

And what was?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Messed how? He worked in all groups.

Just some quotes from SB 2022 thread.

OK Valverde. Are you going to work now?

Wellens and Valverde taking turns yet?

Narvaez and Valverde both not doing anything.

I wanna love something as much as Valverde loves skipping turns

 

[Escarabajo]

I think if anyone will be really disappointed after today it'll be Ineos.

Bernal was so so close to an incredible time gain and coup but it all went backwards at the end.

I agree.

So unfortunate that few things went wrong all of a sudden. They probably should have changed tactic when Arensman dropped. But it is hard to give up at that moment. Brandon alone was doing it but it was simply too much.

 

[Blanco]

Dude - Valverde's whole thing was wheelsucking and then punching everyone out on the last 500 metres!

You are making me question my sanity

Dude, in his entire career, he never wheelsucked one man for the 15 km's, just to out sprint him at the end. Understand?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It spotted Tiberi on the screen? (Sorry...)


I can't really comment on whether Del Toro is good-looking. That would be kinda creepy, what with the 16-year age-gap between us.

Age is just a number, but that is probably excatly (it was supposed to say exactly, but Tiberi was on the screen so...) what frightens you.

 

[Blanco]

Just some quotes from SB 2022 thread.

Oh quotes.., now I understand. Better watch the race again and tell me with a straight face that he didn't worked.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I disagree. If you're a real champion, you don't sit for 15km on some youngsters wheel, just to out sprint him at the end.

What about all the time Del Toro spent in the wheels of the Ineos trio before punking Bernal at the final gravel section. *

* Obviously I don't really believe he was punked, it was again just sound stage race strategy.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Dude, in his entire career, he never wheelsucked one man for the 15 km's, just to out sprint him at the end. Understand?

No, he wheelsucked for many many more km's than that. Wout has never been known to do so, but Valverde made a career with that and other things.

 

[Bolder]

WVA did the right thing today. Del Toro was stronger so he gambled to have a chance. Cycling is not always about power. If it was, Pogacar would win every race.

The simple justification: his interest was a stage win, del toro’s was pink. I saw no scenario in which it would have helped Wout to ride .

 

[Blanco]

There is an entier thread: https://forum.cyclingnews.com/threads/valverde-back-but-wheel-sucking.20474/

Point me the race!

 

[Boehmand]

Oh quotes.., now I understand. Better watch the race again and tell me with a straight face that he didn't worked.

Do you think the UCI should make wheelsucking illegal?

 

[Blanco]

No, he wheelsucked for many many more km's than that. Wout has never been known to do so, but Valverde made a career with that and other things.

Well, now he is.