Category: Cycling

• German produces powerful finish for struggling Red Bull

• GC riders ten minutes adrift with Yates still in third spot

Nico Denz surged to victory on stage 18 of the Giro D’Italia, offering some respite for his struggling Red Bull team.

The German produced a powerful finish to take the win at Cesano Maderno, a much-needed injection of good news following the injury withdrawals of general classification hopefuls Jai Hindley and Primoz Roglic.

• ‘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.

• Lidl-Trek cyclist claims first Grand Tour stage win

• Roglic falls five places to 10th in overall standings

Carlos Verona raced to a solo victory on stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia as Primoz Roglic lost more time on the pink jersey held by Isaac del Toro.

A day after Lidl-Trek lost their team leader, Giulio Ciccone, following a heavy crash, Verona delivered an outstanding response as he claimed his first career Grand Tour stage win – and only his second professional victory – at the age of 32.

• 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.

• Winner helped by superb lead-out from Wout van Aert

• Del Toro has 33sec lead over teammate Juan Ayuso

Olav Kooij sprinted to victory on stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia as Isaac del Toro retained the pink jersey in Viadana.

Kooij was helped by a superb lead-out from his Visma-Lease A Bike teammate Wout van Aert, with Casper van Uden (Team Picnic-PostNL) second over the line ahead of Britain’s Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers).

• 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.

• Belgian beats Mexican rival in dash to the finish
• Primoz Roglic falls further behind after crash

Wout Van Aert battled to victory on stage nine of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday, holding off Isaac del Toro, who moved into the overall lead after the pair went for broke and stole a march on the rest of the field.

Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), riding his first Giro, used all his Strade Bianche experience to outsmart Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates), with Italy’s Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) coming in third.

Rumours are swirling that the 2027 grand tour race could begin in Australia – and it’s not the first time the idea has been explored

Earlier this month, the Giro d’Italia – Italy’s premier cycling race and one of three Grand Tours on the global cycling calendar – began in Albania. So far, so normal – it is increasingly common for the Grand Tours to begin outside their homelands. The Tour de France first started outside France in 1954; in recent years, the Grand Départ has taken place in Italy, Spain, Denmark and Belgium. The Giro has previously rolled out from as far afield as Israel and Northern Ireland, while next year’s Vuelta a España will begin in Monaco.

But on Monday, the well-known Australian cycling commentator Mike Tomalaris raised eyebrows when he suggested the 2027 Giro might begin half a world away: in Australia. With a post on Instagram, Tomalaris indicated he was breaking the news.

• Australian escapes for remarkable solo win
• Home hope Ulissi ousts Primoz Roglic from maglia rosa

Luke Plapp of Team Jayco Alula won stage eight of the Giro d’Italia on Saturday with a formidable solo effort on the 197km ride from Giulianova to Castelraimondo while Diego Ulissi became the first Italian in four years to take the pink jersey.

After nearly 20 riders formed a breakaway group with 100km to go, Plapp attacked the Montelago climb and the Australian rode to victory by a handsome margin and claim his first Grand Tour stage win.

• Spanish rider wins stage seven after first summit finish
• Roglic has pink jersey after late charge to take fourth spot

Primoz Roglic pulled on the pink jersey after stage seven of the Giro d’Italia but Juan Ayuso underlined his credentials as his main challenger by snatching victory in Tagliacozzo, in central Italy.

Ayuso (UAE-Team Emirates) had the power to break clear from a select group of favourites in the final few hundred metres of the 12km climb to the finish. His Mexican teammate Isaac Del Toro came second.