British rider Simon Yates wins elusive Giro d'Italia title

ROME — British rider Simon Yates cruised to overall victory in the Giro d'Italia on Sunday — finally winning the race that had eluded him so often.

After attacking on the gravel-road climb to take the pink jersey in the penultimate stage on Saturday, Yates finished nearly four minutes ahead of runner-up Isaac Del Toro, the 21-year-old Mexican who wore pink for 10 days before Yates took control.

It's the second Grand Tour title for Yates after he won the Spanish Vuelta in 2018.

''It's a defining moment of my career, there's no doubt about that,'' Yates said.

Yates wore pink for 13 days during the 2018 Giro before cracking on one of the final climbs. He also had to withdraw from the Italian race in 2020 and 2022 — because of coronavirus and a knee injury, respectively.

''I'm still in shock of what I've done,'' Yates said. ''It's something that I've been working toward for a long time.''

Yates, who rides for Team Visma Lease a Bike, finished 3 minutes, 56 seconds ahead of Del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Richard Carapaz, the 2019 champion from Ecuador.

Dutch rider Olav Kooij, Yates' teammate, won the final stage in a sprint finish. It was his second victory in this Giro after also winning the 12th stage — and third overall after winning one in 2024.

''Perfect final weekend for us. After yesterday we were all really happy with what Simon pulled off,'' Kooij said. ''To finish it off is really cool.''

During the non-competitive neutralized period just before the mostly ceremonial final stage actually began, the peloton passed through the Vatican and was blessed by Pope Leo XIV.

The 143-kilometer (89-mile) final stage concluded with a circuit of eight laps through downtown Rome and finished next to the Circus Maximus — the ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium.

At age 32, Yates already acknowledged that this victory is ''the peak'' of his career. His best finish in the Tour de France was fourth in 2023.

Twin brothers

Yates and his twin brother, Adam, have long been among the peloton's elite.

Adam Yates rode this Giro for UAE Team Emirates as a support rider for Del Toro — so was competing against his brother. But the brothers posed arm-in-arm for photos together during the final stage.

Before the final stage started, a moment of silence was observed following the death of former Visma rider Robert Gesink's wife.

Del Toro top young rider

Del Toro finished with the white jersey for the top young rider. Despite his tactical mistakes on Saturday, Del Toro appears to have a promising career ahead of him. This was just his second Grand Tour after placing 36th in the Vuelta last year.

''I'm learning,'' Del Toro said. ''I should be happy with myself.''

Danish rider Mads Pedersen took the maroon jersey for points after winning four stages.

Lorenzo Fortunato of Italy took the blue jersey for the mountain classification.

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AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling