Del Toro extends Giro lead as Yates drops to third

Isaac del Toro of Mexico, who defeated Simon Yates of Britain in the Giro d’Italia, won the stage 17 victory, and retained the pink jersey.

With two kilometers left, Del Toro, a rider for the UAE Team Emirates-XRG, broke away from Richard Carapaz and Romain Bardet in Ecuador and won his first stage victory of the tour.

Del Toro was four seconds ahead of Bardet in second place, with Carapaz third and Yates in fourth, and Del Toro came out on top in three hours, 58 minutes, and 48 seconds.

After Wednesday’s stage 16, Carapaz cut Del Toro’s lead by more than 90 seconds to close the 21-year-old’s lead by 31 seconds.

Del Toro’s departure from San Michele all’Adige to Bormio, where he was the youngest rider, was the most recent to achieve his success.

After becoming the race’s first Mexican stage winner in 23 years and the fourth youngest this century, he said, “Everyone wants this [pink jersey] and today I realized that I will never give up and I will always try to stay one step ahead.”

This is my third or fourth podium at this year’s Giro, in my opinion. I don’t have anything to lose. Although today was harder than yesterday, my mindset improved.

I completed this climb with the team, and they gave me the confidence to go for it.

Carapaz, the 2019 Giro winner, had launched an attack close to the summit to try to break Del Toro on the Mortirolo, the stage’s main climb.

Del Toro and Yates, who had a lead of about 30 seconds at the start of the day, were 26 seconds behind in second place.

The main favorites, however, caught up with Carapaz as they approached Le Motte’s brief final climb before the race to the finish line.

Del Toro launched his own attack close to the summit of Le Motte, which only Carapaz could do.

They drew Bardet, the only survivor of the day’s breakaway, together down the descent, which would end his career as a professional and complete his Grand Tour goal of a Giro stage success.

Del Toro had the ability to hold off Carapaz when he nipped in front with less than two kilometers left.