Simon Yates lifts lid on 2025 Giro d'Italia triumph – and reveals he woke up thinking the maglia rosa was lost
By Ben Snowball
Updated 26/12/2025 at 19:40 GMT
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Simon Yates claimed an overdue Giro d'Italia title in June after a dramatic turnaround on the penultimate stage. Six months on, he explains how the decisive stage became a blur of radio messages as he begged for updates on the chaos behind. Hearing Isaac del Toro and Richard Carapaz were still marking each other - and refusing to chase - convinced him his shock bid for pink might actually stick.
Highlights: Simon Yates detonates on Colle delle Finestre to take thrilling Giro win
Video credit: TNT Sports
Six months on from conquering the Giro d'Italia, Simon Yates opened up to TNT Sports about finally burying his demons on the Colle delle Finestre - and admitted he did not believe he could win when he woke up that morning.
Seven years after haemorrhaging 38 minutes on the infamous climb and surrendering the maglia rosa to Chris Froome, Yates returned to take his first Giro title after starting the final competitive day in third.
It was the second Grand Tour win of his career after the 2018 Vuelta a Espana - and easily the biggest stage-race success of his life.
Speaking to TNT Sports at Rouleur Live, Yates said even he was stunned by how the day unfolded.
Asked if he believed he could claim the pink jersey ahead of Stage 20, he said: "To win the race overall? Probably not. I had been losing a bit of time in the last week, seconds here and there.
"I felt really good, in that whole last week I felt great, and I knew I wanted to try something. Even if it wasn't for the overall win, I wanted to try and show myself on that climb because of the history of it from 2018."
In truth, Yates benefitted from a huge tactical misfire as race leader Isaac del Toro and former champion Richard Carapaz "played poker and both lost".
Del Toro held a 51-second buffer over Yates but bizarrely refused to chase when the Brit went clear, leaving it to Carapaz - who also sat up - creating an extraordinary stalemate.
Yates crested the Finestre with a big lead and linked up with Visma-Lease a Bike team-mate Wout van Aert, who dropped back from the break to tow him across the valley to the final climb.
Had Del Toro and Carapaz worked together, the outcome might have been very different. But by the time Yates hit the foot of Sestriere, the race was essentially decided. He sealed a long overdue Giro crown the next day.
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‘Both played a game of poker and lost’ – Stephens on strategy that cost Del Toro and Carapaz
Video credit: TNT Sports
"The pieces really fell into place - the two guys behind me watching each other, playing the game. It couldn't have happened in a better way," he said.
"I kept asking the radio if they were still together or not. If somebody had been able to make a separation, it would have become a time trial between all of us.
"But with them together, there's always that hesitation, so I kept asking the car for updates - 'I need to know if they are together'."
Asked when he finally believed he was about to win the Giro, Yates said: "It sounds ridiculous because the gap was so big, but I truly never believed it until about 200m from the finish line.
"The whole race, and that day, it went perfectly. I couldn't have dreamed it. In my Grand Tour career, there's always a small problem, there's always a niggle, there's always a crash or a puncture at the wrong time. And this year it was so smooth. Unbelievable."
Yates said his plans for next season were still being finalised, adding that "we'll find out soon" whether he will defend his Giro title.
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