Giro d'Italia 2025 Stage 7 recap - Juan Ayuso wins first summit test as Primoz Roglic takes back the pink jersey

Spain’s Juan Ayuso brought home a UAE Team Emirates-XRG one-two in Stage 7 of the Giro d’Italia as Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) took over the pink jersey by just four seconds.

A late attack from Ayuso on the first summit finish of the race saw the 22-year-old debutant swoop to victory at Tagliacozzo ahead of Mexican team-mate Isaac del Toro. Roglic battled back to finish fourth in the wheel of Colombia’s Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and take over control of the maglia rosa after Mads Pedersen came home many minutes down in the gruppetto.

Italy’s Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) completed the top five ahead of compatriots Antonio Tiberi and Damiano Caruso (both Bahrain Victorious), Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Britain’s Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL).

But it was a bad day for Poole’s team-mate Romain Bardet after the veteran Frenchman lost time after a crash with 40km remaining of the 168km stage through the rugged Abruzzo region of central Italy.

Both Bardet and his fellow French climber David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) were involved in the incident – and despite battling back into the peloton, they were dropped on the steep final gradients of the decisive Cat.1 climb.

Once a seven-man breakaway involving Britain’s Paul Double (Jayco-AlUla) was swept up with 5km remaining, the Ineos Grenadiers team of the 2021 champion Bernal took control of matters. Bernal showed glimpses of the form that saw him ride to Tour de France glory in 2019 – but it was Ayuso who kept his powder dry before delivering the killer blow inside the final kilometre.

Roglic found himself out of position just as Ayuso pulled the trigger – and although he managed to limit his losses, he finished outside the bonus seconds and crossed the line four seconds back for fourth place.

They didn’t show themselves until very late in the stage, but UAE Team Emirates-XRG showed their strength in depth with Ayuso taking the win and Del Toro finishing second.

Well, well, well… we have a GC battle on our hands. Here’s the top 10 after the first summit finish, with everyone within 40 seconds:

1 Primoz Roglic
2. Juan Ayuso +04
3. Isaac del Toro +09
4. Antonio Tiberi +27
5. Max Poole +30
6. Michael Storer +33
7. Brandon McNulty +34
8. Mathias Vacek +37
9. Simon Yates +39
10. Richard Carapaz +39

Ayuso will take the 10 bonus seconds and another four seconds over the line on Roglic, but it should be the Red Bull man who takes over the race lead. We await confirmation.

1. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
2. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +04
3. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) +04
4. Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) +04
5. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) +04
6. Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) +04
7. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) +04
8. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) +04
9. Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL) +08
10. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) +08

The Spaniard has kept his powder dry so far in this Giro but he’s ridden to glory in Tagliacozzo after a late attack near the finish. Ayuso followed until he pulled the trigger – and it was his team-mate Isaac del Toro who came over for second place around four seconds back. The likes of Roglic and Bernal were also in that chase group.

This is the Bernal of old as he pulls clear and is then joined by Ciccone and Ayuso and a few of the others. But Roglic is struggling…

Arensman has battled back and now leads with his team-mate Bernal in the wheel. Pidcock and the Yateses are on the back though, along with Vacek. McNulty is still in the mix, ditto Max Poole.

Bernal has it covered and that forces a shake-out behind. Adam Yates, Pidcock and Arensman struggling a bit.

Majka, Yates and Del Toro pushing on for Ayuso as Gaudu drops back along with Quintana. Vacek is still right in the mix, though, with Ciccone. Bernal and Arensman present for Ineos.

The Polish veteran is on the front now with Adam Yates as UAE show their hand at last. Before that, Ciccone and Vacek were pushing for Lidl. Roglic and Carapaz are still in the mix, with Gee and Pidcock there, and Ayuso with Del Toro.

The Frenchman, who crashed earlier, is one of the first GC riders to pop – and Ciccone now comes to the front on a climb he knows very well.

Bernal’s boys return to the front ahead of the gradient shift with Castroviejo and Arensman pulling ahead of the Colombian. It’s going to kick off soon.

It’s Eulalio now who is taking a sustained pull on the front. They have the break in their sights and are benefitting from these gentle gradients and a tailwind. It will all change once the gradient ramps up in 2km. But that’s it for the four leaders, who are swept up under the 5km banner.

Pello Bilbao, Damiano Caruso and Alfonso Eulalio are all there for Tiberi, while Lidl-Trek have four riders including Vacek and the local lad, Ciccone.

One of Antonio Tiberi’s team-mates comes to the front to take over from Ineos Grenadiers. They sweep up Double and Leemreize. Lidl, UAE and EF are all poised with their GC riders, while Red Bull are also there with Roglic.

Tarozzi has in fact joined the leaders so we now have four of the initial break who are pushing on. They have 38 seconds on the Ineos-led peloton.

The pink jersey’s work for the day is done and he’s now in a group over a minute off the back. Tonelli and Garofoli have been joined by Prodhomme in a leading trio, but Scaroni has been caught by the pack and the likes of Double, Leemreize and Tarozzi will soon follow.

Egan Bernal’s team-mates have come to the front to set the early pacing on this climb. They have closed the gap to 35 seconds as Tonelli and Garofoli go clear of the other escapees in pursuit of… a bit more TV time out ahead before the inevitable catch.