Author: Reuters

• Frenchman breaks clear to claim victory on brutal ride

• Simon Yates still in third spot in general classification

Nicolas Prodhomme claimed the first Grand Tour stage win of his career when he rode solo to victory on stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia on Friday, while Mexico’s pink jersey holder, Isaac del Toro, came second to extend his overall lead.

On their penultimate day in the mountains, the riders faced a brutal 166km ride from Biella to Champoluc with five classified climbs and a total elevation gain of nearly 5,000m. Prodhomme, from the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team, broke free on the fourth climb to take the lead and eventually the victory to become the first Frenchman to win a Giro stage this year.

• ‘Today I realised that I will never give up’

• Perfectly timed sprint follows two difficult climbs

Isaac del Toro of UAE Team Emirates-XRG maintained his excellent form at the Giro d’Italia to win stage 17 with a perfectly timed sprint on Wednesday, the Mexican’s first stage victory helping him to extend his lead in the overall standings.

The 155km route from San Michele all’Adige to Bormio was less punishing than Tuesday’s stage 16, but featured two difficult climbs at Passo del Tonale and Passo del Mortirolo, with 3,800 metres of elevation.

• Primoz Roglic abandons on stage 16 after heavy crash

• Alessio Martinelli taken to hospital after ravine rescue

Christian Scaroni won an action-packed stage of the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday, as Isaac del Toro’s rivals cut into his overall lead and favourite Primoz Roglic abandoned the race.

Stage 16 of the Giro was a 203km ride from Piazzola sul Brenta to San Valentino, featuring four brutal climbs totalling up to 4,900m of elevation, with heavy rainfall leading to several crashes.

• Danish rider breaks away in the final kilometres

• Isaac del Toro extends his hold on the pink jersey

Denmark’s Kasper Asgreen took advantage of a crash in the chasing peloton and went alone to win stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia, while the Mexican Isaac del Toro extended his overall lead.

Asgreen was part of an early breakaway trio but, after several riders were brought down in a crash which split up the peloton, the Dane went for broke in the final kilometres and held off the chasing group.

• Isaac del Toro finishes third and extends overall lead

• Denmark’s Pedersen proves too strong on gruelling finish

Mads Pedersen won his fourth stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia when he sprinted to victory on Friday’s stage 13, beating Wout van Aert to the line while Isaac del Toro maintained his overall lead to retain the maglia rosa.

As the riders neared the finish of the 180km ride from Rovigo to Vicenza, Pedersen was fourth when he launched his bid for victory on the uphill sprint as Van Aert stayed close on his wheel. Del Toro had done well to earn bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint but the 21-year-old did not have the legs to challenge the sprint heavyweights as he settled for third, leaving Pedersen and Van Aert to battle it out for victory.

• Overall leader finishes 10 seconds behind Ecuadorian
• UAE Team Emirates teammate Juan Ayuso is second

Richard Carapaz won stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia on Wednesday with a solo ride in the last nine kilometres, with the leader, Isaac del Toro, finishing second in a sprint to the line, 10 seconds behind the former Olympic champion.

Carapaz, the winner of the 2019 Giro, timed his attack to perfection for his fourth career stage win in the race while Del Toro retained the pink jersey, adding six seconds to his lead.

• Dry roads help Dutch rider to win stage 10 time-trial
• Juan Ayuso now just 25 seconds adrift in second place

Dutchman Daan Hoole won stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia as rain hampered the later starters in Tuesday’s time trial, which ended with Mexico’s Isaac del Toro clinging to the overall lead.

Hoole, the 26-year-old Lidl-Trek rider, took advantage of dry roads to cover the 28.6km from Lucca to Pisa in 32 minutes and 30 seconds for his first Grand Tour stage win. By the time the leading riders left the start gate rain was falling, making the corners slippery and reducing speeds.