Juan Ayuso claimed his first Grand Tour stage win atop the summit finish in Tagliacozzo on stage 7 of the Giro d’Italia, jumping away from a select group of GC contenders in the final few hundred metres. The Spaniard’s victory capped off a dramatic day in the mountains that saw Primož Roglič retake the maglia rosa despite being beaten to the line.
The 168km stage from Castel di Sangro was billed as the first true test for the overall contenders, with a summit finish following three earlier classified climbs. The breakaway didn’t go clear until deep into the opening ascent of Roccaraso. Multiple teams tried to send riders up the road but were kept on a tight leash by Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, keen to keep the gap manageable after Mads Pedersen’s stint in pink.
Eventually, a group featuring Paul Double, Alessandro Tonelli and Nicolas Prodhomme among others built a lead, with Double scoring heavily in the mountains classification. However, their advantage never stretched much beyond five minutes and was gradually eroded by the peloton, led in parts by Lidl-Trek, UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike.
On the final climb to Tagliacozzo – 11.9km at 5.5%, but with a brutal final 3km averaging over 10% – the break was swept up with just over 5km remaining. Bahrain-Victorious took control on the lower slopes before Ineos Grenadiers and UAE moved forward. Jonathan Castroviejo set the pace before Egan Bernal launched two accelerations, with Giulio Ciccone and Richard Carapaz both hovering near the front.
In the final 500m, Ayuso bided his time behind Bernal before launching a single, well-timed attack that quickly opened a gap. Only team-mate Isaac Del Toro managed to follow at a distance, finishing second. Bernal hung on for third. Roglič, caught out of position as the attacks kicked off, had to chase from further back, eventually taking fourth and moving into the race lead by just four seconds over Ayuso.
Behind, Carapaz, Ciccone and Tiberi finished in the same time as Roglič, while other GC contenders like Max Poole and Antonio Tiberi lost a handful of seconds. Mads Pedersen slipped out of pink but took over the points lead as expected.
Photo Credit: LaPresseReactions from the finish
Juan Ayuso was visibly emotional after sealing his first win in a Grand Tour.
“This win is a big step in my career,” he said. “This is my fourth Grand Tour. I’ve been close at the Vuelta before. Today I knew I only had one bullet – I had to wait for the right moment and go all-in. I wanted the win, but also to take back time after the time trial. It’s something that gives me a lot of confidence.”
He added that Sunday’s gravel stage to Siena was already on his mind: “It’ll be one of the most tense stages. You need legs, positioning, a strong team, and some luck too.”
Primož Roglič, despite losing time, reclaimed the pink jersey with a calm outlook.
“I always want to win but today I still have the maglia rosa and I enjoy it,” he said. “I wasn’t in the best position when Ayuso attacked. It is what it is. The Giro is long and today was just the beginning of the mountains.”
The Slovenian also reflected on the loss of Jai Hindley and the team’s performance: “Jai was a big loss yesterday, he won the Giro before. But that’s cycling. The guys were impressive today after what happened and we’re ready to keep fighting.”
Egan Bernal’s ride was arguably his most convincing in years. He attacked twice and crossed the line third, showing signs of the form that brought him the Giro title in 2021.
“I felt really good. I told the team to ride and then I had to go for the stage,” he said. “Maybe this jersey gave me wings. At one point I really believed I could win. If I had just 10 more metres… but I’m still very satisfied.”
Richard Carapaz, who had gone down heavily on the rain-soaked stage into Naples, was relieved to come through largely unscathed and still in contention.
“This morning I woke up feeling a bit of pain but we thought it would be okay,” he said. “Today was very explosive and the fastest won. I stayed out of trouble and my team worked really well to put me in position.”
Paul Double, part of the day’s breakaway and now third in the mountains classification, continues to make his mark on debut. “It’s surreal to be up there mixing it with these names,” he said. “I tried to get the KOM points and was just hoping the legs would hold.”
Lidl-Trek’s Giulio Ciccone tried his luck with a late surge, but ultimately played a support role as the team looked to deliver Mathias Vacek into pink via the breakaway – an effort that just fell short.
Mads Pedersen relinquished the race lead but looked back fondly: “It’s been an incredible week. Three wins, nearly a week in pink, and a great ride from the boys again today. I’ll be working for them now.”
After the first shake-up in the GC, the top 10 is tight, with Roglič just four seconds ahead of Ayuso, Del Toro in third, and a long list of contenders all within a minute. With gravel and time trials coming up, the Giro’s next chapters promise more changes.
Photo Credit: LaPresse2025 Giro d’Italia Stage 7 result
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Main photo credit: LaPresse
