Lidl-Trek earned their sixth stage victory of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday, this time by way of Carlos Verona, who pulled off a courageous 44km assault into Asiago.
The Spaniard, driving in his thirteenth season on the WorldTour, tore away from an 11-rider lead group, holding off his chasers on a category-two climb, and soloing to the road.
The victory marked solely the second of Verona’s profession – his first coming on the Critérium du Dauphiné three years in the past – and put him alongside Mads Pedersen and Dan Hoole as Lidl-Trek stage winners on this 12 months’s version.
“I got here to the Giro realizing that my function was help for Pedersen and [Giulio] Ciccone, and I used to be tremendous pleased with that,” the 32-year-old stated afterwards.
“Every part modified”, nevertheless, Verona added, after Ciccone deserted the race in a single day, having suffered a muscle harm in a crash the day earlier than.
“As we speak I used to be driving with my thoughts and my legs, particularly for Ciccone, as a result of I understand how a lot he labored for this race, what number of sacrifices he did,” the Spaniard stated.
“If you end up a helper, it’s good to be there to assist them. After they’re not right here, it’s good to even be there for the crew.”
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Within the battle for the pink jersey, Primož Roglič (Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) dropped to tenth, dropping a minute and a half to his rivals after he was distanced on the ultimate climb.
Isaac Del Toro (UAE Group Emirates-XRG) continues to guide the race forward of Monday’s second relaxation day.
The way it occurred
(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
On a day slated for breakaway success, the battle to be within the entrance group was vigorous and aggressive from the flag drop.
Assaults sprung out of a peloton at full tilt, with the primary 70km ticked off at 50kph. Finally, after an hour and a half of motion, a 35-strong pack managed to tear away.
Positioned on the stage’s halfway level, the 25km slog up the Monte Grappa started to whittle down the breakaway. Ben Turner and Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) dropped again, and turned to their efforts to ramping up the tempo for a transfer close to the summit.
Proper on cue, with 93km to go – 2km from the highest of the climb – Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) kicked away from his GC rivals. The pink jersey adopted, so too did 2019 Giro champion Richard Carapaz (EF Schooling-EasyPost), forming a gaggle set to the rhythms of Latin America. The main group forward crested the Monte Grappa with a bonus of little over a minute, a niche that will fall away on the descent.
The only real survivor of the early breakaway, Marco Frigo (Israel Premier Tech) led the race alone into the valley, simply 15 seconds up the highway. Assaults quickly got here to affix the Italian, and 10 riders – together with skilled Grand Tour stage winners Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL) and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) – have been in a position to bridge throughout.
Verona took his probability to assault on the foot of the ultimate climb, a gentle 16.6km ascent to Dori. With only one profession victory to his identify, the Spaniard drew out a minute’s benefit, alarming Gianmarco Garofoli (Soudal Fast-Step) and Filippo Zana (Jayco AlUla), who set off in pursuit.
Behind within the peloton, Carapaz regarded to sting his GC rivals contained in the final 30km. The Ecuadorian lept from his saddle and kicked away twice, every time adopted by Del Toro, and distancing Roglič. Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) then picked up the baton, by which era the Slovenian was trailing a minute off the again.
Out of sight, Verona continued his solo cost to Asiago. “I knew I needed to do it from far. I’m probably not quick, I’m truly fairly sluggish,” he stated afterwards. A loyal domestique turned Grand Tour stage winner, the Spaniard lined his face in disbelief as he crossed the road. Lidl-Trek’s fortunes had been dented with Ciccone’s abandon, however the victories stored flowing.
Outcomes
Giro d’Italia 2025, stage 15: Fiume Veneto > Asiago (219km)
1. Carlos Verona (Esp) Lidl-Trek, in 5:15:41
2. Florian Stork (Esp) Tudor Professional Biking, +22s
3. Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS Astana, +23s
4. Romain Bardet (Fra) Picnic PostNL
5. Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
6. Filippo Zana (Ita) Jayco AlUla, all at similar time
7. Gianmarco Garofoli (Ita) Soudal Fast-Step, +26s
8. Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) VF Group – Bardiani CSF – Faizanè, +29s
9. Max Poole (GBr) Picnic PostNL
10. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar, each at similar time
Common classification after stage 15
1. Isaac Del Toro (Mex) UAE Group Emirates-XRG, in 55:54:05
2. Simon Yates (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:20
3. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Group Emirates-XRG, +1:26
4. Richard Carapaz (European) EF Schooling-EasyPost, +2:07
5. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, +2:54
6. David Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious +2:55
7. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, +3:02
8. Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos Grenadiers, +3:38
9. Thymen Arensman (Fra) Ineos Grenadiers +3:45
10. Primož Roglič (Slo) Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, 3:53
