Redemption for Yates on epic mountain climb as he closes in on Giro d'Italia title

SESTRIERE, Italy — Simon Yates produced one of the greatest rides of his career on one of cycling's most grueling climbs to all but win the Giro d'Italia on Saturday.

Yates started the penultimate stage in third, one minute, 21 seconds behind previous leader Isaac Del Toro, but the British cyclist launched a solo attack on the beyond-category climb to Colle delle Finestre — the same mountain that spelled heartbreak for him seven years ago — to ride clear of his overall rivals.

Yates was openly sobbing after he crossed the line more than five minutes ahead of Del Toro.

''When the route was released I always had in the back of my mind to try and do something here and close the chapter, let's say,'' an emotional Yates said, as he was trying to hold back tears.

''I maybe look relaxed but I also had doubts this morning, if I could really do something, but the guys they encouraged me and believed in me, so yeah, thanks to them.''

With just the mostly ceremonial finish in Rome left on Sunday, Yates moved into the lead of the three-week race and is all but certain to lift the Trofeo Senza Fine (Trophy With No End) for the first time.

Yates, who won the 2018 Spanish Vuelta, is 3 minutes, 56 seconds ahead of Mexico's Del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Ecuador's Richard Carapaz.

''I was close, and this is a thing, but at the end I didn't win," said Del Toro, who was nevertheless smiling as he saluted at the finish. "I will just keep working and I will come back for sure.

"You need to be a great winner, you need to be a great loser, and I think I am a good loser, and chapeau for them. Congrats.''

Redemption for Yates

Yates' attack had echoes of Chris Froome's audacious move on the Finestre in 2018 that earned him the trophy.

It was also redemption for Yates, who had been leading the Giro at that point in 2018 having worn the pink jersey for 13 days, before cracking on that climb. It is the first time he has donned the maglia rosa since then.

This time around, Yates made his move on the early slopes of the Finestre and had about 45 seconds on Del Toro and Carapaz when he hit the white gravel roads. The duo didn't collaborate behind him.

''We could have been the strongest but we were not the cleverest,'' said Carapaz, the 2019 champion. ''In the end he (Del Toro) lost the Giro, he didn't know how to race well and the most clever rider won.''

Yates crested the climb with a lead of 1:41 on the pair and caught up to Visma–Lease a Bike teammate Wout van Aert, who helped him pull farther away on the descent.

Australian cyclist Chris Harper claimed his first individual victory in a Grand Tour on Saturday's 20th stage, a 205-kilometer (127-mile) leg from Verres to Sestriere. Yates was third, behind Alessandro Verre.

''It's the peak of my career, I don't think anything will top this,'' Yates said. ''I'm not getting any younger as well and to win these, especially the Giro, something that I've really targeted for many, many years … I think it's the best it will be.''

It brought an end to a spell of bad luck at the Giro for Yates, who also had to withdraw from the Italian Grand Tour in 2020 and 2022 — because of coronavirus and a knee injury.

''I really have invested a lot of my career, my life, targeting this race,'' he said. ''And yeah, a lot of setbacks. It's been hard to deal with.''

Del Toro:'No regrets'

Del Toro is at the other end of his career and the 21-year-old Mexican rider — who has sparked cycling fever in his home country — has a glittering future after bursting onto the scene at the Giro, far surpassing expectations of him when the race started in Albania.

''I cannot be more happy, because in the beginning, before in Albania, for sure a lot of people cannot believe that I can be here,'' Del Toro said. "The team always is having confidence in me in this type of things. The problem is me, trying to believe it.

''I lose and I feel super disappointment but I don't want to cry in camera ... is like this, cycling. I have no regrets and for sure I will come back really, really strong from this."

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