Giro d'Italia 2025 Stage 9 LIVE - Gravel nightmare for Primoz Roglic, Isaac del Toro smells pink as Wout van Aert hunts win

1. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) 33'36'45"
2. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) +1'13
3. Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) +1'30"
4. Richard Carapaz (EF Education EasyPost) +1'40"
5. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) +1'41"
6. Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1'42"
7. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) +1'57"
8. Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) +1'59"
9. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) +2'01"
10. Primoz Roglic (Red Bull - Bora Hansgrohe) +2'25"

Coming into the rest day in pink is a fantastic result. Big chapeau to Isaac. It was a bit messy out there with all the chaos, but fantastic for the team.

As the adventure draws to a close.

1. Wout van Aert 4'15'09"
2. Isaac Del Toro "
3. Giulio Ciccone +0'58"
4. Richard Carapaz "
5. Simon Yates +1'00"
6. Antonio Tiberi "
7. Juan Ayuso +1'07"
8. Thymen Arensman +1'10
9. Egan Bernal "
10. Adam Yates "

That was sublime. They were inseparable on the climb and into the final corners where Van Aert took the lead and although Del Toro tried to come back he had to settle for the maglia rosa. What a consolation prize. And that's number 50 for the Belgian. He may not be back to his best but you cannot count him out.

Del Toro at the front, Van Aert holds the wheel on the Via Caterina. Del Toro swings left and right.

Del Toro looking stronger, unless Van Aert has been playing him like a two bob banjo.

Are we about to see the Wout van Aert we've long been hoping for?

Saving every watt he can. As Jonathan from Herne Hill has just said messaged, "he'd fail his accreditation with all this wheel overlapping."

He could have done that a bit sooner, says Sean Kelly. Bernal is riding alone but he's clearly hurting and I think he'll end up in the same company.

It's that famous climb up Via Santa Caterina. Either Van Aert is faking it, or I think Del Toro is on track to do the double here.

And with a very good chance of taking the stage as well on the hard finish to the line. They exchange a few words. Wouldn't it be nice to find out what about? Are they making a deal or is that a refusal? Bernal and Vacek are 30 seconds back, and they may well fall further to the Ayuso group. It's another minute from them to Roglic and company.

Four irrelevant ones to Van Aert, two to Bernal.

The 2.4km uphill Colle Pinzuto, under pressure from Isaac del Toro who can smell a stage win and the maglia rosa. Van Aert is able to follow, but can he do more?

In 5km the gap to Ayuso etc has increased to a minute. They've reached the short Monteaperti uphill gravel sector where Isaac del Toro is looking to blast away. Van Aert can chase but then still is able to sit on. Bernal manages to claw his way up to them, and Vacek, after all his labors, is off the back again.

Very well played the rider from Czechia. You'd have to think he'll be given the right to ride but Sean Kelly suggest he might be happy to be told to hang on with Ciccone behind as his excuse.

1. Del Toro group
2. Vacek +30 seconds
3. Ayuso group + 41 seconds
4. Roglic group +1'23"
5. Max Poole and Michael Storer +1'45"
6. Maglia rosa group +3'00"

A fascinating development, and one which increases the engine in this group by 50%. By the way, we've just seen that bang in the middle between the front four and the Ayuso group is another comprised of Mathias Vacek and Chris Harper.

Takes the mountains points, which won't mean much, and looks around to see if Rivera has anything left, or if anyone else is going to ride. The question is raised whether it makes sense for UAE to let Del Toro ride, or play it safe and place all the obligation on Bernal? Van Aert shakes his head.