Carapaz solos to Giro stage 11 win, Del Toro stays in pink
Cycling - Giro d'Italia - Stage 10 - Lucca to Pisa - Italy - May 20, 2025 UAE Team Emirates's Isaac Del Toro during the time trial REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
Cycling - Giro d'Italia - Stage 10 - Lucca to Pisa - Italy - May 20, 2025 UAE Team Emirates's Isaac Del Toro during the time trial REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
Cycling - Giro d'Italia - Stage 10 - Lucca to Pisa - Italy - May 20, 2025 EF Education - EasyPost's Richard Carapaz during the time trial REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
Richard Carapaz won stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday with a solo ride in the last nine kilometres and leader Isaac Del Toro came second in a sprint to the line, 10 seconds behind the former Olympic champion.
Carapaz, winner of the 2019 Giro, timed his attack to perfection for his fourth career stage win in the race while Del Toro retained the pink jersey, adding six seconds to his lead.
The stage was a challenging 186km ride from Viareggio to Castelnovo ne' Monti which had the most punishing sector on the Giro this year -- the 13.7km Alpe San Pellegrino climb.
EF Education-EasyPost's Carapaz, who turns 32 next week, had a disappointing time trial on Tuesday when he finished nearly three minutes behind winner Dutchman Daan Hoole, but he made it count on the unforgiving mountain stage.
"This stage being a quite difficult one and many people suffering since the first climb, I had good legs and I caught the opportunity to attack at the indicated moment," Carapaz said.
"I wasn't disappointed yesterday. I know time-trialing isn't my forte. I saved everything I could. It's something special and emotional to win this stage because it comes after a lot of work and I wanted to please my family, my friends."
Although a breakaway group led by nearly a minute with 15km to go, Carapaz left the peloton behind and attacked to reel them in, overtaking them with nine km left.
The Ecuadorean powered to the finish with a lead of 18 seconds in the final kilometre while Del Toro led the chasers, beating Lidl–Trek's Giulio Ciccone who completed the podium.
Del Toro's UAE Team Emirates team mate Juan Ayuso is second in the general classification, 31 seconds behind with Antonio Tiberi of Bahrain Victorious is more than a minute back.
XDS-Astana's Lorenzo Fortunato continued to dominate on the mountains to retain the blue jersey, when he claimed maximum points in two of the three categorised climbs on stage 11 and built a lead of 102 points.
But the day belonged to Carapaz, who moved up from ninth to sixth in the general classification, to sit a minute and 56 seconds behind Del Toro.
"I'll try till the end to win the Giro," Carapaz added.
"I won't stop fighting until we arrive in Rome."
Thursday's stage 12 is a flat 172km ride from Modena to Viadana. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Nuno extends Nottingham Forest contract until 2028
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Chelsea - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - May 25, 2025 Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo during a lap of appreciation after the match REUTERS/David Klein/File Photo Manager Nuno Espirito Santo has extended his contract with Nottingham Forest until the summer of 2028 after helping the club qualify for a European competition for the first time since 1995-96, the Premier League club said on Saturday. Portuguese Nuno, who previously managed Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, joined Forest in December 2023 and helped the team avoid relegation before guiding them to a seventh-place finish in 2024-25, their best top-flight campaign in three decades. Forest narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot as they finished a point below fifth-placed Newcastle United, settling for a place in the Conference League's playoff round. "I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football club," Nuno said in a statement after signing the new three-year deal. "We have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the club, which helped us achieve great things last season. Now is the time to work harder than ever as we strive for more special memories together." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Teenager Konstas not out to prove himself ahead of West Indies return
Teenager Konstas not out to prove himself ahead of West Indies return Teenage batter Sam Konstas has vowed to take a more conventional approach than in his early test appearances for Australia after earning a recall to the team that will face the West Indies in the two nations' first test in Bridgetown from Wednesday. The 19-year-old has been drafted into the side to replace opener Marnus Labuschagne, having made headlines with his outlandish shot selection and rapid scoring during his debut against India in Melbourne in the Boxing Day test. "I still can't believe it," Konstas told Australian media when asked about his swashbuckling introduction to test cricket. "I don't know what was going through my mind at that time. I thought it was right in the moment. It was good fun. "The emotions probably got to me with the crowd. It was good reflecting and having a bit of time off, trying to strengthen my game. Hopefully we get to win the next test match. "I feel like I trust people that I work with and they understand my game. I'm not trying to prove to anyone how I'm going to play. I just want to be myself and obviously understand when to take the game on." Konstas hit 60 runs in his debut innings and kept his place for the following test in Sydney as the Australians wrapped up a 3-1 series win over Virat Kohli and company. He was included in the squad that travelled for a two-test series against Sri Lanka later in January, but was not selected for either match. Konstas has earned a recall for the three-test series in the Caribbean due to Labuschagne's struggles with the bat, while Josh Inglis has also been recalled as a result of a finger injury sustained by Steve Smith. "Obviously, it's a tough team to crack and (they have) got legends of the game in that team," Konstas said. "Very excited for the opportunity, and hopefully I can grab it with both hands. "I've been training really hard and I understand the reasons why they picked (other players in recent tests). "I'm just trying to be in the present moment, trying to focus on a few key areas with my batting coach, and feel like I've come a long way. Hopefully, I can display that in the next few test matches. "It's a dream come true, to be honest. Nineteen years old, playing for your country, travelling the world, getting to experience different cultures and against the best players as well. I'm lucky to be where I am." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Boca Juniors fans deliver the loudest, most passionate support at Club World Cup
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group C - Bayern Munich v Boca Juniors - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - June 20, 2025 Boca Juniors players applaud fans after the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Sam Navarro REUTERS MIAMI - In just two games, Boca Juniors have taken Hard Rock Stadium by storm, turning it into their own 'Bombonera' outpost. They filled it with a passion unmatched at this Club World Cup, leaving opposing fans, pundits, and even Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany visibly impressed. The Boca fans made for most of the 55,574 spectators in their team's game against Benfica and were also the immense majority of the 63,587 supporters in Friday's 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Soccer's governing body FIFA has been heavily criticised for an alleged lack of interest for the 32-team tournament in the United States. While some matches are played in front of half empty stadiums, the presence of South American fans has been crucial for the Club World Cup. KEY QUOTES: Boca Juniors coach Miguel Angel Russo: "The fans were amazing — but there's nothing new about that. Of course it hurts to lose, but our people are just incredible. Boca is about working together: team and fans. That's who we are. "Argentine football is special. It's a unique history. People here are passionate, intense. Our supporters have backed this team through everything, and we have to be up to the challenge." Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany: "I've had a long career and experienced a lot. There are times I want to be a player and tonight was one of those times. The crowd was hostile in the best possible way, and the game full of aggression in a good way. That's what I love about football. "We played against a big club with a fanbase that most fans would pay to watch." KEY NUMBERS: 60,626 - The average attendance at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium in four Club World Cup matches. The best attendance was on Friday with 63,587 supporters in the stands. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
