"If it was anyone, it would be my brother” – Adam Yates speaks out as brother Simon snatches maglia rosa from Isaac del Toro

On the very mountain where he saw his Grand Tour dreams fall apart seven years ago, Simon Yates finally found redemption. The Brit has sensationally won the 2025 Giro d’Italia, delivering a devastating attack on the Colle delle Finestre to seize the maglia rosa on the penultimate day of the race.

It was Chris Harper who claimed victory on Stage 20, but all eyes were on the chaos unfolding behind. In a dramatic GC showdown, Richard Carapaz and Isaac del Toro waged war in the pink jersey battle, only for Team Visma | Lease a Bike to emerge from the shadows with a calculated and ruthless move that ultimately crowned Simon Yates as Giro champion.

Yates’ triumph was as emotionally charged as it was tactically brilliant, as the climb that cost him everything in 2018 became the site of his greatest triumph. And yet, while Simon was basking in victory, his twin brother Adam Yates was left to process a complex mix of pride and pain.

Because the man Simon dethroned was Adam’s own teammate, UAE Team Emirates – XRG prodigy Isaac del Toro. In the aftermath of the fireworks, Adam Yates spoke to the media, trying to make sense of a day that will be remembered for years to come.

"I don't know exactly what happened, but we can't be disappointed," the British climber began in his interview. "We rode very well for three weeks, and Isaac is still very young. I don't even know how old he is, he's like 21 or something. It's his first Giro, and he still has many years ahead of him."

Isaac del Toro had been holding the race lead heading into the final mountain test, but under relentless pressure from both Carapaz and Yates, his grip on pink finally slipped. UAE’s long-term project showed promise throughout the race, but experience, and perhaps fatigue, played its role on a brutal day in the Alps.

"We raced well, but if one person rides so crazy, whether it's Pogacar or my brother, then it is what it is, someone has better legs than you," Adam added. "You have to take the blow on the jaw, and accept it. We didn't win, we can't be disappointed."

It was a moment of supreme sporting irony: the Yates twins, whose careers have long run in parallel, were suddenly cast as indirect rivals in one of cycling’s most dramatic Grand Tour finales. Adam, part of the UAE machine trying to shepherd a young leader to glory. Simon, the outsider turned opportunist, rewriting the narrative of his own career.

And yet, in the face of emotional whiplash, Adam’s admiration for his brother shone through, "If it was anyone, it would be my brother. I'm happy for him, I can still congratulate him and celebrate a little. Tomorrow we will celebrate with the team and enjoy the past three weeks."