“I will not say anything more about that” – Tensions high amid confusion between Simon Yates and Visma

Behind the solo victory of Nicolas Prodhomme on stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia, the general classification picture grew more complicated, and possibly more painful, for Simon Yates. The Briton struggled to match the late accelerations of Isaac Del Toro and Richard Carapaz, and after the stage, he made his frustration clear.

“The plan was completely different from what we did today, so I will talk about that with the team,” Yates said bluntly to Eurosport. “I will not say anything more about that.” It was a strikingly tense moment, suggesting a breakdown in execution or communication within the Team Visma | Lease a Bike camp.

Yates had started the day hopeful of clawing back time on Del Toro and Carapaz, but instead lost further ground. He now sits 1:21 behind the Mexican race leader, and may be forced to defend his podium position from the surging Derek Gee rather than fight for the Maglia Rosa. Gee sits just over a minute behind Yates in fourth overall, and with one major mountain stage left, nothing is guaranteed.

Team director Marc Reef appeared surprised by Yates’ reaction and insisted the strategy had been followed. “It went exactly as we agreed,” Reef said. “We wanted to make the race hard where possible and I think the guys did a great job.” He added that the final gaps were down to physical limits rather than tactical failings: “In the end it came down to who had the best legs and Isaac Del Toro and Richard Carapaz were just a bit stronger.”

Reef admitted there had been no final plan to respond to late moves: “That was not discussed at the end. It was mainly about [Yates] being able to keep up. If those other guys are more explosive at the end, you just have to think about hanging on.”

Tomorrow, Yates faces a symbolic and psychological challenge: a return to Colle delle Finestre, the brutal climb where his Giro dream famously imploded in 2018. When asked whether the gravel sections of the ascent suits him, Yates was cautious: “I don't know if tomorrow's climb suits me. I'm not a big fan of the gravel section on the climb. But the legs were good today, let's hope that's the case tomorrow as well.”

Reef remained optimistic despite the setback, “We’ll see what’s possible there, but we’re confident that we can achieve even more than what we have now.”

With only one decisive day remaining in the mountains, Yates’ Giro ambitions hang in the balance, and it’s no longer just about chasing pink, but clinging to the podium.