Two more exciting stages of the Giro d’Italia, where Isaac Del Toro and Richard Carapaz have been going at it toe-to-toe – Stage reports, results, rider thoughts and video. Who is going to take the final overall honours?
TOP STORY:
- Johan Bruyneel sees a clear favourite for final victory in the Giro d’Italia
Rider news:
- David Valero collided with Van der Poel: “Some riders don’t respect their colleagues”
- Medical Update Mathieu van der Poel
- Mikel Landa finds it hard to watch the Giro and looks ahead to a new goal
- Another setback for Arnaud De Lie – He wont start the Boucles de la Mayenne
Team news:
- Another year for Damiano Caruso with Team Bahrain Victorious
- Next races for Team Picnic PostNL
Race news:
- Pope Leo XIV to greet the Giro d’Italia riders as they pass through Vatican City
- 2025 Gravel European Championships Awarded to Avezzano, Italy
Giro EUROTRASH cappuccino?
TOP STORY: Johan Bruyneel Sees a Clear Favourite for Final Victory in the Giro d’Italia
The sixteenth stage of the Giro d’Italia really changed the look of the favourites for the win. Primoz Roglič abandoned and Juan Ayuso dropped out of contention. After the hard stage to San Valentino, Johan Bruyneel thinks that Richard Carapaz is the clear favourite for the final win.
The Ecuadorian looked to be the strongest on Tuesday. The EF Education-EasyPost rider attacked on the final climb of San Valentino and dropped his competitors, including the pink jersey, Isaac Del Toro. In the podcast The Move, Bruyneel looked back at the stage and Carapaz’s attack. “He was in good shape from the start of the Giro, but initially he rode a bit in the shadow. Then he made one big attack (on stage 11 to Castelnovo ne’ Monti). I always say: if you attack, make the most of it. He won the stage and gained time. He is currently in a particularly good position and is the big favourite to win the Giro for me, especially after what I saw on Tuesday. Of course, he may have to pay for his efforts in the coming stages,” the former rider and team manager thinks. “But I expect him to continue racing at the same level and perhaps even improve. After all, that is what he is known for.”
Bruyneel sees Carapaz as the biggest favourite to be wearing the pink jersey in Rome, but Isaac Del Toro is still in the lead and showed he was far from finished with a late attack on Wednesday’s stage 17. The Belgian has his thoughts on the Mexican’s chances. “I expect that they will change tactics at UAE Emirates. They have to race aggressively now, to win another stage or to exhaust other teams. The stage after a rest day is always different, especially if it is a mountain stage. Some riders have trouble with that. That could be an explanation. I think we also have to look at his fatigue and lack of experience.”
Bruyneel betting on Carapaz:
Giro d’Italia 2025
Stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia turned the GC of the Italian Grand Tour upside down. Of the favourites for the final victory, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) was the strongest. The Ecuadorian rode away on the final climb and nearly took the pink jersey from Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates XRG). The Mexican was in trouble and lost time. The stage victory went to Christian Scaroni, ahead of his XDS Astana teammate and KOM, Lorenzo Fortunato.
The rider’s will be glad of the rest day, as stage 16 has the most amount of climbing of this year’s Giro d’Italia. With five Alpine mammoth climbs, the GC should get a good shake up over the 5,000 metres of climbing. After 67 kilometres and the La Fricca climb, there are no flat roads. Next comes the steeper Candrai climb (10km at 7%), followed by the much easier Cat 3 Vigo Cavedine. After 150 kilometres and 50 kilometres to go, there is the Santa Barbara (12.7 kilometres at 8.3%), with its steepest sections at 14%. The San Valentino climb from Brentonico it 18.2 kilometres long at an average of 6.2%. It is much harder than it sounds, it is a pass in three sections with steep ramps of up to 14%. The GC contenders will have to bring the top form.
The weather changed on Tuesday and the rain poured down at the start. The tough stage kicked-off in very bad weather conditions, but this did not stop the race going at ‘full gas’. In a very nervous first part, there was many attacks. Due to the nervousness in the peloton there was a crash involving Thymen Arensman, but the Dutchman was able to continue. When Arensman came down, Wout van Aert had just attacked. The Belgian instigated a break of 7. He was joined by Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost), Lorenzo Germani (Groupama-FDJ), Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers), Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar), Josef Cerny (Soudal Quick-Step) and Xabier Mikel Azparren (Q36.5). This escape group built up a lead of 45 seconds, despite the many counter-attacks from the peloton. Tarling unluckily slid on a roundabout and crashed into the barrier. The winner of the first time trial was on the ground for a long time and had to abandon the Giro. The break had to do without the horsepower of the time trial specialist, but they started the Carbonare climb with a lead of 2 minutes. That lead was not on the peloton, which wasn’t that interested, but on a chasing group of 18 riders. That group eventually managed to cross on the climb.
The van Aert group were joined by some strong riders just before the top: Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Lorenzo Fortunato, Fausto Masnada and Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana), Gijs Leemreize (Picnic PostNL), Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda (Movistar) and Yannis Voisard (Tudor) were amongst them. The lead increased to 7 minutes. For Fortunato this was just in time, as he had the chance to take the top points in the KOM and consolidate his lead in the mountains classification. At the top of the second climb, the one to Candriai, he did it again. On the descent, Alessio Martinelli slid on a wet bend at high speed and slid under the barrier. He was rescued by a mountain rescue team and had to be taken to the hospital. His team said that he had pass out, but was okay when he came too.
After 100 kilometres Primoz Roglič also had to stop. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe leader crashed again early in the stage together with Richard Carapaz and this was the end of the Giro for the Slovenian, who was one of the favourite for the final overall victory. Egan Bernal also crashed, but fortunately the Colombian champion was able to continue. At the front of the race the pace was high towards the crucial Santa Barbara climb. On the climb the race was split, as Fortunato put in an attack. The KOM made his move early on the climb and only Bilbao, Moniquet, Cepeda, Leemreize, Voisard and Scaroni were able to follow. Fortunato took all the mountain points again.
It wasn’t only at the front that there was a split. In the favourites group, the action had started. The first top rider to let go was third overall, Juan Ayuso. The UAE Spaniard was in big trouble on the Santa Barbara climb and his dream of winning the Giro was gone. It was also too fast for Thymen Arensman and his teammate Bernal, but the Colombian did manage to return. Bernal managed to get back with the elite group, joining the pink jersey Del Toro, his teammates Adam Yates and Rafal Majka, Simon Yates, Carapaz, Derek Gee, Antonio Tiberi, Damiano Caruso and Einer Rubio. They had closed the gap to the leaders at the top of the Santa Barbara to around 4 minutes. Before that, two GC riders had already attacked: Michael Storer and Max Poole, both looking to gain time or even go for the stage victory. Storer and Poole were caught on the descent of the Santa Barbara, on the way to the final climb. Voisard rode away from his fellow escapees on the descent, and started the 18.2 kilometre final climb with a lead. The chasers looked to have eased up, but Scaroni, Fortunato and Cepeda rode hard together and pulled back Voisard.
XDS Astana had two men at the front, and after a few attacks by Fortunato, it was Scaroni who got away. Cepeda was in trouble and could only watch Fortunato jump away shortly afterwards and close the gap to his teammate. The two Italians then rode together to the finish line. Scaroni was ‘gifted’ the stage victory, his first win in the Giro. The favourites were waiting for some action on the final climb, this came in the final kilometres. It was Simon Yates set a hard pace on the climb, but he couldn’t make an impression on Del Toro. But then the leader of the race had no answer to a storming attack from Carapaz. After his big jump, the Ecuadorian soon had a minute on Yates and Del Toro, the Mexican was showing signs of weakness for the first time. Del Toro managed to keep his pink jersey, but lost time to his competitors. At the finish, he was more than a minute and a half down on Carapaz and he also lost out to Simon Yates and Derek Gee. In the general classification, they all moved closer together. Del Toro is still in the lead, but Yates is now at 26 seconds and Carapaz at 31 seconds. Gee and Caruso are now fourth and fifth. Ayuso and Arensman both dropped out of the top 10 and Roglič abandoned.
# You can see more photos in the full ‘PEZ Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana): “We started with the rain. In such conditions, I’m able to express myself at 110%. Sometimes in the downhills I still struggle a bit due to the crashes I’ve been involved in. During the race, I was feeling better and better. Our first goal was to consolidate the KOM jersey with Lorenzo Fortunato. We remained seven at the front. At the bottom of the last climb, we realised that we were the two strongest. Even before the last hill, we spoke and it was agree that I would have won the stage if it came down to that because he had already consolidated the jersey. He’s a man true to his words because towards the end, my legs were destroyed, nonetheless he waited for me. I can’t do else than thank him for the rest of my life. Our biggest fear in the breakaway was Pello Bilbao, he attacked downhill, then Yannis Voisard went but alone at the front, he burned himself a bit. Lorenzo and I rode smartly.”
Maglia Rosa, Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates XRG): “It was a very hard day for everybody. Even all GC riders were at the limit. It was the pure spirit of cycling. I can’t be prouder of the team. Without them, I couldn’t be in this position. I didn’t have the best legs of my life but that wasn’t an excuse. I did my best with the energy I had. The experience of my team-mates helped me tremendously today. I’m super happy because I reached the finishing without any gramme of energy left. I wanted to make them think that I’m 100% trying to keep this jersey. I hope to have better legs tomorrow. I’m not someone who wants to believe in confidence, I just hope to do it and if there’s a smart move, I want to make sure that I’ll be there. I don’t have this type of confidence in me but I believe I can do it. Visma and UAE, we tried to put a high speed on the climb, there was a little bit of a head wind. Simon [Yates] spent a little bit, they used the steep climb to their favour. When [Richard] Carapaz went, I tried to keep a near distance, I wanted to work with him but I didn’t have the best legs for that. I fought till the end. He was stronger. I have no regrets. I spoke with Juan Ayuso in the morning, he didn’t have the best feelings. He had two crashes. We tried to manage a little bit when he had a hard time on the second climb. He had a bad day. The three riders [behind me on GC] are dangerous. They’re different kinds of riders. We need to be careful. I don’t have one favourite.”
2nd overall and 8th on the stage, Simon Yates (Visma | Lease a Bike): “The conditions didn’t make it easy today. The rain at the start turned the stage into a real battle of attrition. We had to stay on our toes all day. Thanks to the great work of the team, we were always well positioned. Wout was also able to contribute at the end, which was a huge help. I’m feeling good right now. Everything is looking positive, and luckily I had good legs today. We’ll see how everything plays out in the coming days.”
3rd overall and 4th on the stage, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost): “We knew this was a key stage. I think I worked really hard in the run-up to this Giro, which I really made a goal of. I haven’t always had the best health and luck in recent years. Today too, things didn’t go my way and I fell. But I got up and I’m going to try. We’re here to fight and I’m not going to give up until we get to Rome. Did I prove today that I’m the strongest? I think so. In any case, we’re going to keep trying.”
5th on the stage and 4th overall, Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech): “I’m really happy. This was the first real big test, so I’m glad my legs responded. I couldn’t keep up with Carapaz’s acceleration, so I just tried to maintain my own pace to the summit. I’m really happy with the result, but there’s still a long way to go.”
6th overall, Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers): “It was a tough day. I crashed and it took me a while to get back into the groove. On the penultimate climb, I was already falling behind and thought I was going to lose a lot of time. I kept fighting and believing in myself, and I managed to catch up with the rest of the favourites. Overall, we can say I got off to a good start today, although it’s also true that I lost some time compared to several riders in the general classification. The classification changed a lot in just one mountain stage, and there are still three left. Tomorrow, for example, we’ll climb the Mortirolo. But I’ll keep fighting. Even if I’m a little chipped away, my plan is to attack and try my luck. If I haven’t given up in five years, I won’t do it in one day.”
7th on the stage and overall, Michael Storer (Tudor): “Unfortunately, at the bottom of the second climb, I was involved in another crash today, which is a bit frustrating as it’s the fourth time in this Giro d’Italia already. I have a swollen lip with a little cut but other than that I’m ok, nothing serious. On a good note, I felt really strong on the last climb today and was able to move up in the GC, I’m very happy with that. For the rest of the Giro I’m hoping for a bit more luck in terms of crashing and look forward to the next big days in the mountains.”
9th on the stage, Gijs Leemreize (Team Picnic PostNL): “Today was a really tough day. It was rainy and cold at the start, and like most days, it took a while for the break to form. As we expected it to be an important day for the GC, we didn’t want to waste too much energy trying to break away. But as it took so long to form, I saw an opportunity to get into a good group and took it. They gave us quite a bit of a margin, which was great, and I felt really strong. Especially on the penultimate climb, I had really good legs and felt like I was one of the strongest. But it’s clear that others were doing well too and had a bit more in store for the final climb. I tried to gradually drop them on the previous climb, but it didn’t work. After a few tough days last week, I feel like I’m starting to find myself again, so we’ll see what the next few days bring. With Max well placed in the GC, we’ll put together a good plan for the next stages.”
10th on the stage, Yannis Voisard (Tudor): “I’m very happy with today’s stage. I’m glad I managed to catch the breakaway of the day. Everything went pretty smoothly, and I noticed during the penultimate climb that, among the six other riders, the two from Astana seemed a bit stronger. So I decided to anticipate an attack to increase my chances of winning. I felt that the bottom of the descent was the right moment. I quickly opened up a gap, but on such a tough climb, it’s all about the legs. Still, I was very happy to finish in the top 10 of the stage. On top of that, I was able to help my teammate Michael Storer a bit when he caught up with me, although I was really exhausted. He’s had a good day and moved up in the GC, so it’s been a fantastic day for the team overall.”
Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers): “A rider charged at me and I fell on my knee, and I was in pain the whole stage. I was riding with adrenaline and I fought until the end, trying to stay close and help Egan, but in the end, I couldn’t fight the pain. It is what it is, that’s racing.”
Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL): “I felt pretty good when I attacked with Storer. It’s a shame it didn’t work out, because we were really going flat out. After that, I had to set my own pace for a while… but yeah, it was a tough day. I think you have to race in the moment. If you don’t take risks, you don’t win anything. Maybe that cost me a bit of my legs in the end, but overall I’m pretty happy with how the day went.”
Break rider, Mattia Bais (Polti VisitMalta): “It was undoubtedly one of the hardest stages of the Giro. Although a first breakaway had no team representation, we were able to attack a big group to join the front of the race with my brother Davide and myself. The weather was very, very tough with cold and rain, but then the day got better and it was great to race on our usual training roads, with the fans supporting us in that final part. We will keep trying.”
Abandoned, Primoz Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): “The impact with all these crashes was simply too much. I had no choice; I had to stop. I always try to think about what’s coming next, and that’s it. With the guys, with the team, we’ve had some great experiences. It was great to be able to race with them. They’re beautiful memories I’ll never forget, that’s also the truth. Now we’re focusing on what’s next.”
Giro d’Italia Stage 16 Result:
1. Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS Astana in 5:35:05
2. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS Astana
3. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:55
4. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 1:10
5. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 1:23
6. Jefferson Albeiro Cepeda (Ecu) Movistar at 1:43
7. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 1:52
8. Simon Yates (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike
9. Gijs Leemreize (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL at 2:19
10. Yannis Voisard (Sui) Tudor at 2:31.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 16:
1. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG in 61:31:56
2. Simon Yates (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:26
3. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:31
4. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 1:31
5. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 2:40
6. Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) INEOS Grenadiers at 3:23
7. Michael Storer Tudor (Aus) at 3:31
8. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 4:07
9. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 4:36
10. Adam Yates (GB) UAE Emirates XRG at 5:08.
Giro’25 stage 16:
Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates XRG) had a bad day on Tuesday and lost a little time, but on Stage 17 he showed he was far from beaten in this Giro d’Italia. The Mexican won the stage by jumping away from his main challenger, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), in the final kilometre. Romain Bardet (Team Picnic PostNL) was second and Carapaz third on the stage, but the Ecuadorian moved up to second overall, ahead of Simon Yates (Visma | Lease a Bike).
The seventeenth stage has the extremely tough Passo del Mortirolo (12.6km at 7.6%) on its route. From the start in San Michele all’Adige, the stage starts to climb almost immediately. Never really steep, but enough to cause some problems. After 54 kilometres is the start proper of climb of the Passo del Tonale (15.2km at 6%), this is the twelfth time it has been used in the Giro d’Italia. After a long descent, the riders hit the Passo del Mortirolo, the only Cat 1 climb of the day, but a very popular one over the years. The Mortirolo is 12.6 kilometres at 7.6%, but the steep finish has sections of up to 16%. After the descent, it is a hard road via Le Motte to Bormio.
From the gun, there was a lot of interested riders wanting to be in the early break. Thymen Arensman was particularly active at the front. The INEOS Grenadiers’ rider made several attempts to get away, as did a lot of UAE Emirates-XRG riders, who had also had a hard day yesterday. Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Daniel Felipe Martinez (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) were also amongst the attackers. No one managed to get away after 20 kilometres, so Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was able to add some more points to his purple points jersey at the intermediate sprint. Right after the sprint, a large group was able to ride away, but it was the pink jersey, Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG), who pulled them back. He didn’t use any of his teammates, the Mexican closed the gap without any help. He looked strong and in control, but was a waste of energy that he should be keeping safe.
Next, it was a group of 39 riders who finally managed to escape the grip of the peloton. Brandon McNulty was the best placed rider, almost 8 minutes behind Del Toro, so there was no worry for the UAE Emirates-XRG men. There was some dangerous riders in the break: Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Daniel Felipe Martinez (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana), Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers), Steven Kruijswijk, Bart Lemmen, Wilco Kelderman & Dylan van Baarle (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost), all able to take a stage win. On the Passo del Tonale, Fortunato, in the blue KOM jersey, started the action early, causing the leading group to split into several pieces. He took the maximum KOM points at the summit. The peloton rode on steadily, but on the Mortirolo it was slightly different. Without any major accelerations, the pace was high for a long time. That cost Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), sixth and eighth overall, to lose contact. Juan Ayuso had already been dropped. Towards the top, Richard Carapaz put in an attack that no one could answer right away. The Ecuadorian had nearly 20 seconds and it looked like Del Toro was in trouble, but he managed to closed the gap to the other favourites. On the descent, Carapaz, even with the help of Steinhauser, saw it was too early for a solo ride to the finish in Bormio, so he sat up and waited for the other GC men.
In the break, Daniel Felipe Martinez looked to be the strongest, but it was Mattia Cattaneo, Afonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious), Florian Stork (Tudor), Bardet and Fortunato who were the best climbers. Due to the battle in the peloton, their gap had gone under 2 minutes. Q36.5 saw a chance for Tom Pidcock and started to chase hard. Going to the Le Motte climb, 8 kilometres from the finish, EF Education-EasyPost and UAE Emirates XRG started ride on the front, so what was left of the break only had 30 seconds at the start of the final Cat 3 climb. Their chance of a stage win was looking slim, so Romain Bardet attacked his fellow escapees with 1.5 kilometres to the summit. Could this be a stage win in his last Grand Tour? Behind the Frenchman, the pink jersey, Isaac Del Toro, jumped away with a big attack. Only Carapaz could grab his rear wheel. The two rode well together and closed down Bardet. This was an ideal situation for the overall leader, but Del Toro wanted more than just time on the other GC riders, he was determined to win the stage. On the descent to the finish he rode the others off his wheel and hold of the others for the stage win. The differences on the overall standings are still quite close at the end of the stage. With his small lead and bonus seconds Del Toro now has a lead of 41 seconds on Carapaz and 51 on Simon Yates, but there are still three hard stages before the final procession stage in Rome on Sunday.
# You can see more photos in the full ‘PEZ Stage Report’ HERE. #
Overall leader and stage winner Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates XRG): “I had a bad yesterday but that happens to anybody in cycling. It was quite hard for everyone. To be honest, I was never in this position [to lead a Grand Tour] before, my legs weren’t at 100% yesterday but that’s not an excuse. I need to not complain a lot. We’re humans. That made everything better today. Carapaz today represented the same danger as before. We just want to keep going and finish the job. The team is always there for me so trying to win today was the least I could in this position. That’s why I went at the end, put pressure in the descent. Today the corners towards the end and the weather favoured me. I don’t want to be arrogant. I just did my best. When I saw a gap, I went all in to the finish line. My celebration at the end comes from something my brother told me as a joke and I did it at Milano-Torino because my zip was broken. Now it’s my way to thank all the people who support me. I don’t feel I’m any special but when we pass through villages, the cheers from the crowd are incredible. I’m grateful to everyone.”
2nd on the stage, Romain Bardet (Team Picnic PostNL): “I had marked this stage from the very start of the Giro. Just yesterday, I looked at it again and I was really feeling good, so I had confidence. I think I rode well, but we never really got much of a gap. Even when I got caught, I still believed in it. I had studied the technical finale with all those corners really thoroughly. I knew that if I could enter the corner with 200 metres to go in first position, I would win. In the end, Del Toro did an amazing job. The road was getting slippery, and the line he chose was really impressive. He gained five metres there, and that was it. I have no regrets, I raced smart. I truly did everything I could, so there’s nothing to feel sorry about and I’m proud of how I’m riding in my final Grand Tour.”
6th overall and 12th on the stage, Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers): “We tried our luck once again, but our rivals are quite strong. The most important thing is that there’s a lot of Giro left. We all want to win and feel competitive. In any case, I like this job and I’m able to enjoy riding and pushing myself to the limit every day. That’s what I did today, and what I want to do going forward. I’m happy for Isaac del Toro. I think he’s a good guy and deserves today’s win.”
11th on the stage, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5): “They’re destroying each other. I took the crown right behind Egan Bernal and Adam Yates. I was with Michael Storer. I let him go, but I didn’t drop that fast. I was a bit frustrated coming into the finish; I wish I could have passed everyone and stretched the gap a bit more. But no, I just let them do it, and you know, I’m not going anywhere in a finish like that. It was basically 25 kilometers uphill. I think it’s okay; I’m still in the fight. I’m being pretty consistent.” I’m not exactly at the level of those at the top, but yes, I can be happy.”
Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious): “I’ve been feeling a lot of pain since this morning. It was with the crash that I felt pain like that, but starting this morning, with all the effort I put in yesterday, it started to get worse. Already today, from the start, I was suffering on the climbs with the pain starting to get serious, but I climbed with the peloton, and at the start of the Mortirolo, I simply couldn’t push more than 350W because the pain was getting too strong, but I wanted to get to Bormio.”
KOM, Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana): “Today we were no longer looking at the mountain points. To win the jersey, I just have to get to Rome safely, so now I want to win a stage. We told ourselves we had to go for it today too, trying to get into the breakaway. Before the last mountain pass, we only had 25 seconds, and that’s when our dreams of victory vanished, also because I wasn’t feeling so brilliant anymore. There are only three days left, now we have to try every day.” Tomorrow, clearly, I’ll try to recover, but on Friday and Saturday I’ll be back at the front.”
Wilco Kelderman (Visma | Lease a Bike): “I didn’t feel very well today. I tried to be there for Simon; that was the whole goal of getting into the breakaway. We finished further than we expected. The GC men flew by. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do much more today, but the plan was clear. We prepared well as a team, and I think Simon had another good day, even if he lost a few seconds at the end.”
23rd on the stage, Mattia Cattaneo (Soudal Quick-Step): “My goal today was to be in the breakaway, and once there, I did everything I could until the end. I even tried to make a selection, as I knew the Mortirolo descent, and I believed in our chances of reaching the finish line, but in the end, it turned out to be a CG stage and they dropped us back. There are still four stages left, and we’re motivated to give our best until the end of the race.”
Giro d’Italia Stage 17 Result:
1. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG in 3:58:48
2. Romain Bardet (Fra) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:04
3. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost
4. Simon Yates (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:15
5. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:16
6. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
7. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
8. Einer Rubio Reyes (Col) Movistar
9. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL
10. Afonso Eulalio (Por) Bahrain Victorious at 0:56.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 17:
1. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG in 65:30:34
2. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:41
3. Simon Yates (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:51
4. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 1:57
5. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 3:06
6. Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) Grenadiers at 4:43
7. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 5:02
8. Einer Rubio Reyes (Col) Movistar at 6:09
9. Adam Yates (GB) UAE Emirates XRG at 7:45
10. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 7:46.
Giro’25 stage 17:
David Valero Collided with Van der Poel: “Some Riders Don’t Respect their Colleagues”
David Valero, the Spanish rider who crashed in the opening lap of the mountain bike World cup in Nove Mesteo after a collision with Mathieu van der Poel, has criticised the Dutchman’s overtaking manoeuvre on his social media.
Van der Poel was supposed to start on the fifth row on Sunday, where the UCI has space for riders who are in the top 10 of the UCI ranking in cyclocross or the top 20 on the road, but in his urgency to move up, things went wrong. During an overtaking manoeuvre, the Dutchman collided with the Spaniard and both riders fell. In a second fall, Van der Poel fell even harder, which would eventually lead to his retirement.
Van der Poel didn’t make himself popular with his action in the opening lap. At least, according to Valero. Without mentioning Van der Poel by name, he was quite critical.
“I am disappointed with my race, especially because some riders do not respect their colleagues for who they are,” Valero, who is a multiple Spanish champion and winner of the 2022 World Cup round in Snowshoe. “I appreciate that they are coming to participate to give visibility to the mountain bike World cup, that is very important. But respect is also that!”
Medical Update Mathieu van der Poel
Following his double crash during the WHOOP UCI MTB World Series on Sunday in Nové Město, Mathieu van der Poel has been diagnosed with a minor avulsion fracture of the scaphoid bone, indicative of ligament damage to the wrist.
This type of injury requires a cautious and carefully monitored recovery process. The timeline for resuming training and competition will depend on the evolution of swelling and pain over the coming days. At this stage, it is therefore premature to provide a definitive prognosis or to outline the trajectory of the coming weeks. Consequently, Mathieu van der Poel will not travel to La Plagne for the first days of the planned altitude training camp.
The injury will be subject to continued and intensive medical evaluation throughout the week. Further assessments, scheduled towards the end of the week, may offer greater clarity regarding his program and the potential for participation in the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Van der Poel injured:
Mathieu van der Poel’s Doctor: “Tour de France should not be a problem”
Mathieu van der Poel suffered a small fracture in the scaphoid bone during his double crash in the Mountain Bike World Cup in Nové Mesto last weekend. What exactly does Mathieu van der Poel’s injury entail? Will he be fit for the Tour de France? Surgeon Joris Duerinckx and sports doctor Kris Van der Mieren explained the situation to Sporza.
“The scaphoid is a bone in the wrist, a crucial bone for the functioning of the wrist. It is called a fracture at the attachment of one of the ligaments on the scaphoid,” said Duerinckx, who has experience with top cyclists and wrist injuries. Two years ago, he treated Tadej Pogačar after the Slovenian suffered fractures in the scaphoid during a crash in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
“It is a typical cyclist injury,” Van der Mieren adds. “When you go over the top (like Van der Poel), you want to land on your flat hand, but you land on your wrist. Most of the pressure ends up on the scaphoid. That is the first thing that will break. It is good that it has been discovered, because sometimes it is missed.”
A ‘good bone healing’ of the scaphoid quickly takes about six weeks, according to Van der Mieren. However, that does not mean that you cannot cycle for six weeks, he emphasises. “If the bone can be fixed (with a pin), then the attachment will absorb the forces and then it can go much faster.”
The recovery time also depends on the blood flow, according to Duerinckx. In addition, the location of the fracture is decisive. “It depends on which ligament is affected, but I have no insight into that. The damage can be minimal, which is comparable to a sprained wrist. In that case, the recovery will depend on his comfort.”
But there is also a less favourable scenario. “It could also be an important ligament that ensures the stability of the rest of the wrist and that forms a connection with the rest of the wrist bones. In that case it can be a more disabling injury. In that case it is sometimes advisable to prescribe strict immobilisation and relief and therefore to follow it. Hyperextension of the wrist should then be avoided for six weeks.”
In such a scenario, Van der Poel’s Tour preparation will be seriously disrupted. But Van der Mieren emphasises that it is ‘always a bit of a wait and see’ and that Van der Poel does not need to panic for the time being. “There is still about five weeks before the Tour, that should not be a problem. The Dauphiné will not be ideal, but you can make adjustments to a handlebar. You can make it softer with an extra cushion in the gloves so that the impact is somewhat less. I do not think it has to be a big problem.”
Mikel Landa Finds it Hard to Watch the Giro and Looks Ahead to a New Goal
Mikel Landa saw his Giro ambitions fall apart on the first day of the Italian Grand Tour. The Spaniard of Soudal Quick-Step crashed hard in the opening stage in Albania and broke a vertebra. The 35-year-old climber spoke to Eurosport about his recovery and is looking ahead to a new goal: the Vuelta.
“Every day it gets a little better, with less pain,” Landa begins his story. “Thanks to the corset I can do quite a lot and next week I will have an X-ray to see if the fracture is healing properly.” It concerns a stable fracture of the Th 11 vertebra. A vertebra of the thoracic spine that influences the function of the kidneys, the connections from the kidney to the bladder and the circulation and drainage of the lymph.
Landa had planned his entire spring to be in good shape for the Giro d’Italia. The period after his fall is not only physical, but also mentally difficult. “It is an emotionally difficult period. I had high expectations of this Giro, I had more or less sacrificed the first part of the season to be at my best. It is difficult to think about whether I will be there again next year, especially after such a great 2024 that I had.”
Whether Landa will be at the start of the three-week stage race through Italy again next year, he does not yet know. Looking ahead is difficult, but looking at the Giro that is currently underway is also difficult. The leader of Soudal Quick-Step only managed to do that for the first time ‘a little’ last weekend. “With jealousy, because I see riders who are a point of reference for me to know where I could have been myself.”
After the Giro, Landa should have been at the start of the Tour de France, but due to the seriousness of his injury, that goal can also most likely be crossed off, as CEO Jurgen Foré confirmed. That would be a big setback for Remco Evenepoel, who found the ideal domestique in Landa last year. However, the serious injury does not mean that we will not see the Spaniard in action again this year. “I am sure that I will make it to the Vuelta”, he is determined.
In order to reach that race in his home country, Landa hopes to be back on the bike soon. “It is, within what is a vertebral fracture, a ‘good’ fracture. I hope that after the fourth week I can take off the corset and start training on the rollers. In June I hope to be back on the road and turn this situation around.”
Landa out of the Giro:
Another Setback for Arnaud De Lie – He Wont Start the Boucles de la Mayenne
Arnaud De Lie has yet disappointment. The Belgian champion, who is going through a difficult time, will not be able to participate in the Boucles de la Mayenne. The sprinter is ill, his Lotto team announced via social media.
De Lie was supposed to be the team leader in the four-day (29 May-1 June) French stage race. “However, Arnaud woke up sick this morning and is therefore forced to return home. He will rest in the coming days and then resume training.”
The team also announced via X that his further competition programme will not be jeopardised. De Lie will be at the start of the Brussels Cycling Classic (8 June), Tour of Switzerland (15-22 June) and the Belgian road championship (29 June) in the run-up to the Tour de France (5-27 July).
The 23-year-old rider is currently having a disappointing season and has been searching for his form for a long time. That the Belgian champion is not his usual self became apparent during his comeback in the Rund um Köln. The German one-day race did not bring what he and the Lotto team had expected. What’s more, a withdrawal after barely an hour of racing didn’t help.
Lotto had not taken this scenario into account. According to reports, the team is convinced that De Lie is on the right track and that the changes in his entourage still have to bear fruit. Therefore, no major changes will take place for the time being.
De Lie sick again:
Another Year for Damiano Caruso at Team Bahrain Victorious
With the 2025 Giro d’Italia entering its final week, Bahrain Victorious are delighted to announce the contract extension of Damiano Caruso, our road captain here in Italy.
The 37 year old currently lies 6th on GC after 15 stages, and has been Antonio Tiberi’s ever-reliable right hand man throughout this – & last – year’s ‘Corsa Rosa’.
With 80 podiums in a 20 year career already, including at the Giro in 2021, Caruso has been an integral part of the Bahrain roster since 2019, and will now ride with us for an 8th year.
“For me this was the easiest decision to make,” the Sicilian commented yesterday. “To continue with this team, where I have had the most beautiful years of my career … I wouldn’t wish to be riding anywhere else.”
Damiano is such an integral part of the team, it is difficult to imagine Bahrain Victorious without his experience, influence and good humour. Technical Director Vladimir Miholjevič reflected that, “Damiano has shown his quality again and again – including now on the Italian roads. We are extremely happy that he will remain our rider for the 2026 season. Both sides were extremely keen to make this happen despite his age; maybe even more because of that experience and what he brings as a result! He still has the character and enthusiasm of a young rider, but is able to transmit so much know-how to the newer guys, and we would like him to help us bring on the younger generation that is coming through”
Managing Director Milan Eržen agrees: “Damiano’s commitment to the team is unbelievable and he is an amazing example of what you can achieve with hard work. This extra year as a rider means he can continue what he has been doing for us since 2019 – passing on so much knowledge to the young guys”
Miholjevič continues, “As a rider and as a person Damiano deserves our full trust and his place here with us. We love having him here, and we look forward to this relationship continuing.”
A stage winner at the Vuelta a España & Giro d’Italia, and with a total of nearly 30 victories over a glittering career, Damiano Caruso is one of the most respected cyclists in the peloton. We could not be happier that he will remain with us, continuing to bring his talent and personality to everything he does. “The management, staff, and my teammates have all been so happy for me when they heard this news, that I’m even more motivated now to repay the faith they have all shown in me, even at my age! I’m super happy that this relationship is going to continue, and I am looking forward to riding in Bahrain colours for another year.”
Next Races for Team Picnic Post NL
Tour of Norway – MAY 29 – JUNE 01
Pim Ligthart – Team Picnic PostNL coach: “Tour of Norway brings four days of racing in and around Stavanger, with a parcours that offers chances for both sprinters and GC riders. For the fast finales, we have Tobias as our finisher, who is in great shape and showed that recently in France. The team will be fully committed to supporting him in the sprints. Beyond that, we’re also heading into the race with multiple GC options. Juan, Kevin, and Bjoern all have qualities that suit this type of terrain, giving us flexibility and depth across the four stages. We’re looking forward to an exciting block of racing in Norway, and we’re ready to make the most of every opportunity that comes our way.”
Line-up:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DNK)
Bjoern Koerdt (GBR)
Juan Guillermo Martinez (COL)
Tim Naberman (NLD)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
Mees Vlot (NLD).
Kersenronde Mierlo – MAY 29
Bennie Lambregts – Team Picnic PostNL coach: “We head into this flat one-day race in collaboration with Dutch Food Valley Cycling Team, lining up with three of our riders: Johan, Christiaan, and Thom. The parcours is pancake flat and, in nine out of ten editions, it comes down to a sprint. That’s exactly what we’re aiming for, given the qualities of our lineup. With the right teamwork and positioning, we’re confident we can play a role in the final and challenge for a strong result. This race also offers a great opportunity to strengthen our collaboration and give our riders a clear objective to race for.”
Line-up:
Johan Dorussen (NLD)
Christiaan van Rees (NLD)
Thom van der Werff (NLD).
Omloop het Nieuwsblad U23 – JUNE 01
Bennie Lambregts – Team Picnic PostNL coach: “Omloop het Nieuwsblad U23 offers a classic mix of cobbles, climbs, and countless twists and turns. We’ll line up with a mixed team of three Dutch Food Valley riders and three from our own squad, racing as one unit with a shared plan and clear teamwork. Just like in our previous joint races, the goal is to race together as one team, following our process and executing the plan with commitment from kilometre zero.”
Line-up:
Ryan Gal (NLD)
Ko Molenaar (NLD)
Christiaan van Rees (NLD).
Kevin Vermaerke to the Tour of Norway:
Pope Leo XIV to Greet the Giro d’Italia Riders as they Pass Through Vatican City
The official announcement was made this afternoon by the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See
Sunday, June 1, Pope Leo XIV will greet the Giro d’Italia riders as they will pass through Vatican City.
This will happen to honour the memory of Pope Francis, that accepted the proposal made by the Cardinal Josè Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, and realised together with the Governatorate of Vatican City State and Athletica Vaticana.
The project of the stage on the Vatican soil – a step that anticipates the Jubilee of Sport planned on 14 and 15 June – has started on 28 October 2021 during the ceremony of the certification to Athletica Vaticana as official member of the UCI. The project was presented on 29 April, in Campidoglio, by Bishop Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See.
The start of the final stage of the Giro d’Italia 108 will be given at the Baths of Caracalla. The riders will enter in the Vatican City by the Petriano Entrance.
The route inside the Vatican Walls will be 3 km long.
Stage 21 Rome/Vatican:
2025 Gravel European Championships Awarded to Avezzano, Italy
Avezzano, Italy, will host the next UEC European Gravel Championships on 21 September 2025. The UEC Management Committee awarded the event to this city in the heart of the Abruzzo region at a meeting held yesterday.
A choice that combines the beauty of an area rich in nature and culture with the extraordinary potential of a fast-growing discipline, capable of involving not only the continent’s best elite athletes, but also hundreds of enthusiastic amateurs.
Enrico Della Casa, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: “Avezzano and Abruzzo will be hosting a mass event with a major impact, not only in sporting terms, but also socially and for tourists.
The Gravel European Championships represent a winning formula that combines top-level competition and popular participation: elite athletes, amateurs, families, tourists, all together in a weekend that celebrates sport and the discovery of the region.
Gravel is much more than just a trend: it’s a different way of experiencing cycling, immersed in the countryside, between paths, villages, parks and secondary roads. It is precisely this vision that has made Avezzano and its surrounding area the ideal setting for what promises to be a highly attractive event.
In recent years, Abruzzo has already demonstrated its organisational and landscape value by hosting major cycling events, and it will once again be a major player with the Road European Championships in 2029. We would like to thank the Italian Cycling Federation, President Cordiano Dagnoni and the Organising Committee for their commitment and for sharing our plans.”
Mario Quaglieri, Delegate for Sport and Budget for the Abruzzo Region: “The 2025 Gravel European Championships represent a unique opportunity for us, one that we have seized to showcase the beauty of our region. We are sure that the more than 1,500 athletes, technicians and supporters who will come to our region for this event will be impressed by Abruzzo.
I would like to thank the President of the UEC, Enrico Della Casa, and the President of the FCI, Cordiano Dagnoni, for choosing Abruzzo and placing their trust in us. Thank you to the Organising Committee and, of course, to the Municipality of Avezzano.
This region has a particularly close relationship with cycling: in Trasacco, not so long ago, we hosted the Tirreno Adriatico, and last year a stage of the Giro set off from Avezzano. Vito Taccone, one of the greatest names in the history of cycling in Abruzzo and beyond, was born here.
For us, the September event is also a warm-up for the 2029 Road European Championships. Abruzzo is certainly a region that knows how to welcome sport and great cycling. We look forward to seeing many of you in September for the Gravel European Championships.”
European gravel champs:
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