“You just can’t make this stuff up” – Tom Danielson reacts to Simon Yates' Giro triumph and tactical shocker from Del Toro and Carapaz
Cycling
Stage 20 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia delivered one of the most
dramatic finales in recent memory, with Simon Yates flipping the script to take
the Maglia Rosa in extraordinary fashion. And former pro rider and analyst Tom
Danielson offered his full, passionate take on the day’s fireworks on X
(formerly Twitter).
Danielson criticised the tactical decisions of both Isaac
Del Toro and Richard Carapaz, arguing their focus on each other allowed Yates
to ride away and win the Giro.
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“Del Toro picked the wrong strategy today to win the Giro,”
Danielson began. “His strategy appeared to focus entirely on Carapaz and race
defensively against him. If Yates moved, force Carapaz to chase. Well, Yates
moved, and Carapaz did not chase. Instead, he spent his energy changing the
pace to try and drop Del Toro. The result? They bled time for no reason at all
to Yates.”
Danielson was particularly baffled by Del Toro’s passivity
when Yates initially attacked.
“Why Del Toro didn’t just counterattack Carapaz and go
across to Yates when he was only 10 seconds ahead makes no sense to me. He sat
behind Carapaz until the gap was huge and Yates got to Wout, and then pulled.
The gap was already 2 minutes at this point. This was not the right strategy.
Surely Tadej was calling in to the directors—I wish they had answered the
phone.”
He then turned his attention to Carapaz, who he claimed
underestimated Yates entirely.
“Carapaz picked the wrong strategy today to win the Giro.
Like Del Toro, he focused entirely on dropping Del Toro. It started with him
blowing everyone up at the base of the Finestre using his team to do a full
lead-out. Then it continued with 3,000 attacks—Del Toro would just give him a
gap and then ride him back.”
Danielson highlighted the contrast between Carapaz’s
strategy on Stage 19 and the one he chose for the queen stage.
“Three thousand attacks today is wild, since yesterday he
rode steady for time with Del Toro on the wheel and gained time on Yates. But
today, he did everything to try and crack Del Toro while completely ignoring
and underestimating Yates?!?!”
“The result was bleeding time to Yates and not dropping Del
Toro. It’s also wild because this sort of slow/attack/slow/attack strategy is
used when you’re battling for the lead—not when your rival just rode past you
and is ahead!?! In that moment, you must ride a steady pace and bring him
back.”
As for the man of the moment, Danielson was effusive in his
praise for the newly crowned Giro champion.
“Simon Yates, again, by doing Simon Yates things, won the
Giro! Yesterday I commented on how all his unpredictable rides might be
designed to confuse everyone so they’d count him out in the end. While I don’t
think he intended for it all to work out this way, it sure worked out this
way.”
“The incredible legs he had today, the strong teamwork from
Wout, and the fire from losing it all on this climb in the past made the
perfect storm he used to win the Giro. You can’t ignore that he set the record
on the Finestre and then had Wout go full Wout to take the gap over five
minutes! Huge ride at the huge moment.”
Read also
Danielson reflected on the poetry of the moment, comparing
Yates’ triumph to his heartbreak on the same climb in 2018.
“I stated a few posts ago that the Giro is made for TV, and
today proved it again. A massive GC flip. The guy who last time lost his Giro
dreams on this climb, in the pink jersey, now flips the script and wins the
Giro on the same climb. And what about Visma—a team that seemed to be
struggling to find their wings this year—ending up winning the first Grand Tour
of the season? Oh, you just can’t make this stuff up.”
Finally, Danielson paid tribute to Del Toro’s response after
the finish, praising his sportsmanship in defeat.
“I want to finish by highlighting Del Toro’s incredible
reaction at the finish line. After showing his strength and gapping Carapaz to
the line, he crosses it making a ‘chapeau’ gesture, immediately acknowledging
Yates’ incredible ride.”
“Like—that’s next level. He then goes to his rivals, shakes
their hands, and straight to his teammates, thanking and hugging them. Like
wow, guys. That is next level, and I’m grateful my 15-year-old son has this
level of sportsmanship to look up to.”
My Thoughts on the GC Battle in Stage 20 of the Giro:
— tom danielson (@tomdanielson) June 1, 2025
1. Del Toro picked the wrong strategy today to win the Giro. His strategy appeared to focus entirely on Carapaz and race defensively against him. If Yates moved, force Carapaz to chase. Well, Yates moved, and Carapaz did not…
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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