After years of heartbreak and near misses, Simon Yates finally conquered the Giro d’Italia, lifting the Trofeo Senza Fine in Rome following a dominant ride on the penultimate stage. The British rider secured his second career Grand Tour victory, seven years after winning the Vuelta a España, with a composed ride into the capital on stage 21. His Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Olav Kooij capped off the celebrations with a sprint victory to close the race.
Redemption on the Finestre
The defining moment of the race came on stage 20, when Yates launched a daring solo attack on the gravel slopes of the Colle delle Finestre. The same climb that shattered his Giro dreams in 2018 became the stage for redemption. This time, there was no implosion – just cold precision and sustained power.
“I had an idea to get away on this climb. I knew I had strong legs and I wanted to be alone and focus on my own effort,” Yates said. “Other stages have been more tactical while yesterday’s was quite simple. I’ve found myself again during this Giro. This is my year.”
Yates arrived in Rome with a lead of 3:56 over Isaac del Toro and 4:43 over Richard Carapaz, maintaining his advantage through a largely processional final stage.
Photo Credit: LaPresseSprint glory for Kooij, again
Visma-Lease a Bike made sure the finale wasn’t merely ceremonial. In a tightly controlled bunch sprint on the streets around the Circus Maximus, Kooij claimed his second win of the race thanks to a lead-out from Wout van Aert and Edoardo Affini. Kaden Groves and Matteo Moschetti rounded out the top three on the stage.
“We couldn’t wish for a better final weekend,” Kooij said. “Yesterday was really amazing for the team and today I had to give everything that was left in the legs… With Wout, we just went all in. I’m happy to make it to the line.”
It was the 23-year-old Dutch sprinter’s third career stage win at the Giro and the 41st pro victory of his young career. He becomes only the third Dutch rider to win three or more Giro stages, behind Tom Dumoulin and Jean-Paul van Poppel.
Pedersen wraps up points title
Mads Pedersen formally claimed the ciclamino jersey after dominating the points classification from stage 1. The Dane took four stage wins and led the standings throughout. Despite planning a low-risk finish, Pedersen still sprinted to fourth in Rome.
“We have six stage victories and the ciclamino jersey, it’s incredible,” he said. “Not a lot of teams will ever be able to do this. For us this is absolutely insane.”
The decision to skip the Tour de France and focus on the Giro clearly paid off for Lidl-Trek, who also bagged wins through Daan Hoole and Carlos Verona. Pedersen, who previously won the Vuelta’s points jersey in 2022, now adds another major classification to his résumé.
Photo Credit: LaPresseFortunato climbs to blue jersey, Del Toro secures white
Italy’s Lorenzo Fortunato took the mountains classification, holding a clear lead over the final week to secure the blue jersey. Meanwhile, Isaac del Toro’s 10-day stint in pink was rewarded with the best young rider prize.
The 21-year-old Mexican rode impressively throughout the race and, while disappointed to lose the overall lead on the final climbing stage, remained upbeat.
“I’m super happy to stand on the final podium, also a bit disappointed because it wasn’t nice to lose on the last mountain stage,” Del Toro said. “But I’m proud of all my race. I was always at the front. I’m sure I’ll come back hungry for more.”
Carapaz content with third
2019 Giro winner Richard Carapaz secured third overall with a consistent performance across the three weeks.
“I gave everything I had. I’ve tried all I could to win,” he said. “It was my mission since the first day I came to the Giro. I’m happy with this third place. I think the Giro is my race.”
It marks Carapaz’s fifth career Grand Tour podium, and his third at the Giro.
A complete turnaround for Yates
For Yates, this victory represents not just sporting success but personal vindication. After crashing out of previous editions and enduring the public collapse in 2018, this triumph was the culmination of long-term ambition and resilience.
“I’m still in shock of what I’ve done,” he admitted. “It’s something that I’ve been working toward for a long time.”
His move to Visma-Lease a Bike at the start of the season has proved inspired. The Dutch team supported his GC bid with full commitment, while also collecting four stage wins and dominating the final weekend.
“I think I just needed a change,” Yates said. “I wanted to come to a team that knew how to win Grand Tours. They’ve done it successfully with different riders. It’s looking like it’s paid off.”
Now 32, Yates heads to the Tour de France next month, where he’ll ride in support of Jonas Vingegaard. But whatever happens there, his Giro victory stands alone.
“I think I’m at the pinnacle of my career,” he concluded. “I don’t know how much better you can get from here.”
Photo Credit: LaPresse2025 Giro d’Italia Stage 21 result
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2025 Giro d’Italia GC result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: LaPresse
