Giro d'Italia Stage 17 recap - Isaac del Toro bounces back with victory ahead of Romain Bardet and Richard Carapaz

Mexico’s Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) capped his eighth day in the pink jersey with a rousing victory in Bormio to put to bed – at least for another 24 hours – those rankling rumours of his demise.

Dropped on the legendary Passo del Mortirolo, the pink jersey fought back with a vengeance to secure the first Grand Tour stage win of his burgeoning career and extend his lead at the top of standings to 41 seconds on Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) in this increasingly thrilling Giro d’Italia.

With his big rival Carapaz stuck to his back wheel, Del Toro darted clear of a select group of GC favourites on the final climb of Stage 17 in pursuit of lone leader Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL).

French veteran Bardet was the last-man standing from an initial 38-man move and looked set to complete his clean sweep of Grand Tour stage wins just weeks before his impending retirement.

But the GC fireworks behind dashed Bardet’s hopes – and although he dug deep to stick with the Del Toro and Carapaz juggernaut when it powered past with 5km remaining, Del Toro’s last-gasp attack near the bottom of the technical two-tier descent saw him open an unassailable lead entering Bormio.

They say that only Giro champions win stages in Bormio – and so it would have been a psychological blow to Carapaz to see Del Toro celebrate four seconds up the road with a dramatic bow after securing Mexico’s first stage win on the Giro since 2002.

On the Carapaz-Pellizzari move near the top of the Mortirolo:

Once those bonus seconds were factored in, the standings are as follows:

1 Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
2. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) +41
3. Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) +51
4. Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) +1:57
5. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) +3:06
6. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) +4:43
7. Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) +5:02
8. Einer Rubio (Movistar Team) +6:09
9. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +7:45
10. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) +7:46

So, Carapaz leap-frogs Yates into second place. Meanwhile, Storer just holds onto his place in the top 10 by virtue of Davide Piganzoli cracking on the final climb. But he will be looking over his shoulder at Max Poole and Brandon McNulty now.

1. Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
2. Romain Bardet (Team Picnic PostNL) +04
3. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) +04
4. Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) +15
5. Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) +16
6. Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) +16
7. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) +16
8. Einer Rubio (Movistar Team) +16
9. Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL) +16
10. Afonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious) +16

Despite all that pacing by Q36.5 team-mate Damien Howson, Tom Pidcock could only manage 11th place, one ahead of Egan Bernal of Ineos Grenadiers. Michael Storer, meanwhile, crossed the line four minutes down in 29th place so he will drop out of the top 10 today.

Heartbreak for Romain Bardet who has to settle for second place after coming so close to completing that clean sweep of wins. He pips Richard Carapaz for the win, with Simon Yates edging clear of the chasers to take fourth place.

The Mexican’s Giro is alive and kicking again after Isaac del Toro swoops to take a maiden Grand Tour stage win on his ninth day in pink. What a dream finale for UAE Team Emirates and their leader, who will also take 10 bonus seconds in Bormio. Wow!

Isaac del Toro has a small gap after attacking near the bottom of the descent. Can the pink jersey battle back with a stage win? It looks like he will… What a ride from the Mexican!

The gap is still just seven seconds for the leading trio ahead of the finish in Bormio, with Yates pushing things on the descent.

The French veteran has to dig deep to latch on and not get instantly dropped by Del Toro and Carapaz. He lives to fight for the win – but it’s going to be a downhill uphill task given the fresher legs of his companions here, who are also fighting for the bonus seconds that could be the difference in the fight for pink.

It’s Simon Yates who drives the chasers in pursuit of Carapaz and Del Toro, who trail Bardet by nine seconds. Can the Frenchman hold on to add the cherry on the cake of his career?

The Mexican decides that the best form of attack is defence! Del Toro dances clear with Carapaz in his wheel. They catch Rubio and trail Barden by just eight seconds as the Frenchman crests the summit of Le Motte with a slender lead ahead of the decisive two-tier descent.

How the tables have been turned from earlier, when it was Carapaz who launched the attack on Del Toro on the Mortirolo...

With Bardet the only man up the road, Einer Rubio has a pop but he only opens up a small gap over the chasers, driven by Bahrain duo Eulalio and Damiano Caruso. They have Del Toro, Carapaz, Gee, Yates and Poole in their wheel, but Bernal has now been distanced.

The Frenchman needs a win in the Giro to complete his grand slam of Grand Tour stage wins – just weeks before his retirement. He has 25 seconds on the pink jersey group, which has exploded. Del Toro is now isolated after his UAE support riders blew up. Martinez has been pacing for Pellizzari as they catch Stork, Eulalio and Cattaneo.

Tudor’s Florian Stock puts in a big attack from the break as Kelderman sits up and Fortunato is caught by the pink jersey group. Stork has Cattaneo, Eulalio and Bardet with him. And then Bardet goes for broke – a wise move, with the chasers closing in.

The breakaway start the Cat.3 ascent of Le Motte (3km at 8.2%) and a maximum of 13%. Those official figures differ slightly from the ones published earlier taken from a popular stats-based portal. The gap is just 25 seconds as UAE come to the front of this 20-man pink jersey group.

Damien Howson put in a huge shift on the front for Tom Pidcock to reduce the arrears to 40 seconds before peeling off. UAE now take it up ahead of the final climb of Le Motte (3.1km at 8.1%).

Michael Storer was riding with Tom Pidcock on the descent of the Mortirolo but he’s not currently in this chase group. So the Australian from Tudor Pro Cycling could be losing some ground today. He was 3’31" down in seventh this morning.

Lorenzo Milesi, who was in the break, now pulls the pink jersey group along with Damien Howson. Movistar’s Einer Rubio is in 11th place on GC and will be moving up today with Antonio Tiberi going the other way.

The breakaway has some real class in the likes of Bardet, Fortunato, Vacek and Martinez. They also have 1’30". But you also get the impression that the gap could disappear as soon as the big attacks rain down behind. It’s usually pink jerseys elect who win in Bormio – and that could still be the case today if Carapaz or Yates, or even Del Toro, make their move.

Tom Pidcock makes his move – and it’s a surprisingly early one, on the false flat before the climb proper. It’s closed down by UAE, who have Majka, McNulty and Adam Yates on patrol for pink jersey Del Toro. Strange move, that. Has Pidcock shot himself in the foot?