Asgreen wins and Del Toro pads Giro lead as rain brings down rivals
A largely flat 195km run from Treviso in Italy to Nova Gorica was set up for another mass finish, but the rain-slicked roads provoked a mass pileup that split the peloton and toppled the hopes of several favourites including local hero Roglic.
Mexican Del Toro, who had been looking over his shoulder at UAE team-mate Juan Ayuso, increased his lead to a more 1min 20sec as Simon Yates jumped to second overall.
Agreen was one of the fallers but bounced up and set off on the right side of the split with less than 20km to go after riders piled up on a cobbled corner entering the final loop round Nova Gorica for the first time.
"That's not how you want to take time off the others. But that doesn't change anything for me," he said at the finish.
Giulio Ciccone, who started the day in seventh overall, hurt his knee and took a long time to get moving again. By the end he had lost 15 minutes.
Antonio Tiberi, in third overall before the crash, was slow to remount and, with three waiting team-mates, time-trialed desperately after the pack to finish two minutes behind Algreen.
The Dane was part of breakaway that was nursing a 28-second lead until the crash split the peloton and ended the chase.
Of the leaders in the overall standings Mexican del Toro, Englishman Yates, Canadian Derek Gee and Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz were in the leading group.
As the group passed the same spot on the next circuit, Del Toro lost control of his back wheel and only stayed upright after an alarming slide round the corner.
Asgreen, the loan survivor of the original breakaway, finished 16 seconds ahead of his closest pursuers.
"It's frustrating to have to completely destroy yourself like that to win a race, but when it works, it's absolutely worth it, so I'm incredibly happy," he said at the finish.
Kaden Groves edged fellow sprinter Olav Kooij in a battle for podium places and points with Del Toro and Yates rolling over in their slipstreams.
Roglic, who started the day in fifth, and Ayuso, who had been second, were 1min 4sec behind Asgreen. Ayuso dropped to third, 1min 26sec behind his team-mate. Roglic stayed fifth but trails by 2min 23sec.
Tiberi lost two minutes and Ciccone finished 15 minutes down.
Agreen's EF Education team-mate Carapaz jumped to fourth overall.
"The rain makes it harder for the bunch," said Asgreen. "The final circuit was quite technical, and with wet roads it was even harder."
On Sunday, the race heads into the Alps for a 219km stage from Fiume Veneto that includes the first-category climb up Monte Grappa, but after falling on Saturday several leading contenders have an unexpected mountain to climb in the standings.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Real Madrid star Mbappe hospitalised with stomach bug
"Our player Kylian Mbappe is suffering from an acute case of gastroenteritis and has been admitted to hospital in order to undergo a series of tests and follow the appropriate course of treatment," said Los Blancos in a statement. French striker Mbappe missed Real Madrid's Club World Cup opener against Al-Hilal on Wednesday, a 1-1 draw in Xabi Alonso's first game at the helm. Alonso said on Tuesday the 26-year-old forward had been "feeling a little better" after illness in the run up to the match in Miami. Madrid B-team player Gonzalo Garcia, 21, started in Mbappe's stead and opened the scoring for Real Madrid against their Saudi Arabian opponents. Madrid's second match in Group H is on Sunday June 22 against Mexican side Pachuca in Charlotte. Mbappe finished as the European Golden Shoe winner in his first season at Real Madrid with 31 goals in La Liga, but Los Blancos finished the season without a major trophy. © 2025 AFP
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Real Madrid held by Al-Hilal after Man City win Club World Cup opener
Federico Valverde had a stoppage-time penalty saved as Real were forced to settle for a point in the Group H match in Miami having earlier taken the lead. It was a disappointing outcome for the large contingent of fans of the Spanish side in the impressive crowd of 62,415 at the Hard Rock Stadium. "The first half wasn't as good as the second one. In the second half we had better chances, better control. For sure we have the principles to start building something but we could have won," Alonso told broadcaster DAZN. The former Bayer Leverkusen coach gave debuts to new signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen in defence but Real were missing top scorer Kylian Mbappe for the game. Gonzalo Garcia was brought into their attack as a result and the 21-year-old seized his chance as he opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark from a Rodrygo assist. However, Al-Hilal hit back in their new coach Simone Inzaghi's first game on the bench with Ruben Neves levelling before the break from the penalty spot following a Raul Asencio foul. Al-Hilal then held out for a point but Real had the chance to claim the victory in stoppage time after Mohammed Al Qahtani was ruled to have put his hand in the face of Fran Garcia in the box. However, Valverde's spot-kick was saved by Yassine Bounou to give the Saudi team a draw after a hugely creditable performance. Foden stars, Guardiola satisfied In Philadelphia, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku scored first-half goals as Pep Guardiola's City eased to a 2-0 win against Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in Group G. City gave debuts to new signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki while it was Foden who opened the scoring inside two minutes, sweeping home inside the box after goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid patted a Savinho centre into his path. Doku converted the second goal from a Foden corner shortly before the interval in a game played in sweaty early afternoon conditions in front of 37,446 fans at Lincoln Financial Field. The afternoon was slightly marred for City as Rico Lewis was sent off for a dangerous tackle late on, but Guardiola was satisfied with the winning start as his side look to turn the page following a difficult last season. "It is so hot. The humidity is not easy. We had good moments, many new players. The first game in this group stage is always really, really important. I saw many, many good things," said Guardiola, who suggested he will make sweeping changes for the next match against Al Ain in Atlanta on Sunday. "The first step is done, it is really important. Now we have recovery, we are going to train well in the next few days and then fresh legs for the next game to try to improve things," Guardiola added. "We have a lot of new players, injured players back, and step by step we will get to the right tempo." The action continues later on Wednesday as City's Group G rivals Al Ain and Juventus meet in Washington. Before that, Mexican outfit Pachuca take on Red Bull Salzburg of Austria in Group H in Cincinnati. The second round of group games begins on Thursday, with matches including Lionel Messi's Inter Miami against Porto and European champions Paris Saint-Germain facing Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
Japan shines as Tanaka claims -70kg gold and Murao triumphs in all-Japanese -90kg final
It's Day 5 in Budapest at the OTP Bank World Judo Championships and the action rolls on. At -70kg, Lara CVJETKO is no stranger to World finals, but this time she was out for gold. The Croatian judoka returned to the big stage with more experience, greater composure, and a renewed hunger to stand on the top of the podium. CVJETKO looked like an athlete on a mission – ready to turn silver into gold. Her opponent was Shiho TANAKA – a world bronze medallist herself. She had confidently worked her way through the draw. Each contest saw her judo sharpen, her intent clearer. This was her chance to move up the podium and she stepped onto the tatami with gold firmly in her sights. With both athletes hungry for their first World title, the final was set for a high-level showdown. A golden score yuko from TANAKA was the decider. The Japanese judoka rose from the tatami as a World Champion. Hungary Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade Mr Péter SZIJJÁRTÓ awarded the medals. At -90kg, Sanshiro MURAO was on fire, ippon in every contest on his way to the gold medal match. An amazing run through the preliminaries, with a dominant performance, had the judo world watching closely. Each match was a showcase of control, timing and explosive technique. MURAO looked unstoppable, was this finally his year to take the top of the podium and find his place among judo's elite? Facing him was his team-mate, reigning World Champion Goki TAJIMA who despite the pressure of defending his title, worked his way through the preliminaries. As the stakes rose, so did his judo with an outstanding semi-final ippon. He was finding his rhythm at the right moment, but was it enough to become a two time World Champion? In the final the two Japanese judoka took the contest to golden score. It was a tense, tactical fight. The victory was MURAO's, he would leave Budapest as World Champion. North Macedonia Minister of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade Mr Timčo MUCUNSKI awarded the medals. See you tomorrow for more Judo! Six leaders from the Group of Seven – or G7 – discussed Russia's war in Ukraine and the Israel-Iran conflict; however, they were unable to achieve significant agreements on these and numerous other pressing matters. It concluded a summit that was forced to demonstrate how the coalition of affluent nations could still influence global policy, despite the premature departure of US President Donald Trump. During the concluding sessions on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, along with leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, were accompanied by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO chief Mark Rutte. 'We need support from allies and I'm here,' Zelenskyy said, before adding, 'We are ready for the peace negotiations, unconditional ceasefire. I think it's very important. But for this, we need pressure.' The remaining leaders agreed to jointly attempt to combat what they called non-market policies that could jeopardise global access to critical minerals. They also pledged to limit the downsides of artificial intelligence on jobs and the environment, while still embracing the potential of the 'technological revolution.' There was agreement on various other matters, yet despite the summit's intention to demonstrate solidarity on major global issues, no collective statement regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine was released. Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with Trump as world leaders convened at the Canadian Rocky Mountain resort of Kananaskis, however, that meeting was cancelled after Trump opted to leave the summit a day early on Tuesday citing escalations in the Middle East. Additionally, the United States had earlier signed an agreement that allowed American access to Ukraine's extensive mineral resources. A senior Canadian official who briefed reporters at the summit said the Washington opposed a joint statement on Ukraine amid its efforts to promote negotiations with Russia. In Trump's absence, the remaining six leaders held an extensive session on Ukraine. Lacking unanimity, individual leaders also met with Zelenskyy to reassure him of their continued support to Kyiv and their commitment to ensure his country is equipped to fend off Russia. The summit was largely overshadowed by the showdown between Israel and Iran over the latter's nuclear programme, which has the potential to escalate. Israel initiated an aerial bombardment campaign targeting Iran, while Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes. French President Emmanuel Macron warned against the US and other powers pushing for regime change in Iran, suggesting it could destabilize the greater Middle East. Netanyahu had earlier urged Iranians to use Israel's strikes as a means of toppling the government. "I believe the greatest mistake today would be to pursue regime change in Iran through military means, as that would lead to chaos,' said Macron. Before leaving, Trump joined the other leaders in issuing a statement which stated that Iran 'can never have a nuclear weapon' and calling for a 'de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.'
