Isaac del toro fiercely defended his Giro d’Italia lead during a thrilling Stage 19, solidifying his position as the primary_keyword contender and moving closer too a historic victory. The young Mexican rider countered Richard Carapaz’s attack, showcasing a tactical prowess that sets him apart in this year’s race, with an remarkable second-place finish. Nicolas Prodhomme secured a important win, but the focus remained on Del Toro’s consistent performance.explore the detailed analysis of the stage’s key moments, including the critical climbs and the strategies employed by the general classification contenders. News Directory 3 provides crucial updates on the race dynamics. del Toro’s 43-second lead over the secondary_keyword competitors sets the stage for a dramatic finale. Discover what’s next as the race enters its final mountain test.
Del Toro Defends Giro d’Italia Lead in Stage 19 Thriller
Isaac del Toro moved closer to a potential historic victory as the first Mexican champion of the Giro d’Italia, successfully defending the pink jersey during Friday’s challenging Stage 19. The stage featured five climbs across 166 kilometers in the Italian Alps.
The 21-year-old rider from Baja California countered a surge from rival Richard Carapaz on the final climb. Del Toro will now head into Saturday’s mountain finale still wearing the coveted pink jersey.
Nicolas Prodhomme secured a significant win for Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale, launching an attack from the day’s breakaway group on the penultimate climb.
Despite three significant first-category climbs earlier in the stage, the general classification contenders focused their efforts on the Category 2 Antagnod climb (9.5km at 4.7%) and the subsequent fast descent to the finish.
Carapaz initiated an attack from the GC group midway up the climb, but Del Toro quickly responded. Simon Yates struggled behind them, while Derek Gee attempted to improve his podium chances.
Del Toro’s second-place finish, just behind Prodhomme and ahead of carapaz, earned him two bonus seconds, extending his lead to 43 seconds. Yates remains third, now 1:21 back, with Gee in fourth at 2:32.
The high pace and altitude of nearly 5000 meters vertical took its toll, reducing a large breakaway group to a smaller set of stage-hunters.
With less than 30km remaining,the stage became a battle between the breakaway and the GC contenders. On the final Category 1 climb, Nicolas Prodhomme broke away from Antonio Tiberi and Carlos Verona to pursue the stage win.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG took control behind, supported by Rafal Majka, Brandon McNulty, and Igor Arrieta, who set a strong tempo. Their efforts reduced the gap to Prodhomme to just over a minute with 25km to go.
Carapaz’s attack was quickly marked by Simon Yates and Del Toro, with Gee and UAE following closely.Pellizzari led over the penultimate summit, setting the stage for a final climb showdown among the GC favorites.
Del Toro kicked to second ahead of Carapaz to pad his lead by two bonus seconds to 43 seconds.
What’s next
Stage 20 will deliver the final mountain test, with the top three podium spots still up for grabs. the Colle del Finestre, with its gravel sectors, could be the decisive climb. A high-speed descent leads to the Category 3 Sestriere summit finish.
