Del Toro extends Giro lead as Yates drops to third

Mexico's Isaac del Toro retained nan pinkish jersey aft triumph connected shape 17 of nan Giro d'Italia arsenic Britain's Simon Yates slipped down to 3rd overall.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Del Toro clinched his first shape triumph of nan circuit aft he collapsed distant from Frenchman Romain Bardet and Ecuador's Richard Carapaz pinch 2 kilometres left.

Del Toro crossed nan statement successful 3 hours 58 minutes and 48 seconds - 4 seconds up of nan second-placed Bardet, pinch Carapaz 3rd and Yates backmost successful 4th spot.

Del Toro leads nan wide classification by 41 seconds from EF Education-EasyPost's Carapaz, who has a 10-second advantage complete Visma-Lease a Bike rider Yates.

Carapaz had taken much than 90 seconds retired of Del Toro's lead aft Wednesday's shape 16 to trim nan 21-year-old's advantage to 31 seconds.

However, Del Toro was nan freshest of nan riders during nan descent of nan 155km shape from San Michele all'Adige to Bormio to seal his success.

"Today I showed I will ne'er springiness up. I want to enactment 1 measurement successful beforehand and person thing to lose," said Del Toro.

"It's my 3rd aliases 4th podium which is incredible. Today was not easier than yesterday. The squad springiness maine nan assurance to spell afloat gas."

Carapaz, nan 2019 Giro winner, had tried again to break Del Toro connected nan Mortirolo, nan main climb of nan shape pinch an onslaught adjacent nan summit.

The Ecuadorian, 31, opened up a lead of astir 30 seconds connected Del Toro and Yates, who started nan time 26 seconds down successful 2nd place.

But Carapaz was caught again by nan main favourites arsenic they approached nan short last climb of Le Motte earlier nan descent to nan finish.

And it was adjacent nan acme of Le Motte wherever Del Toro responded pinch his ain onslaught - a move that only Carapaz could follow.

Riding together down nan descent, they caught Bardet - nan past subsister of nan day's breakaway - and would contradict nan 34-year-old his dream of a Giro shape occurrence to complete his Grand Tour group successful his last play arsenic a professional.

With conscionable nether 2 kilometres to go, Del Toro was capable to adjacent successful connected Carapaz and, erstwhile he nipped successful front, had nan powerfulness to clasp him disconnected successful nan sprint.

Thursday's 144km shape features 3 climbs successful nan first half of nan title followed by level terrain arsenic nan riders move from Morbegno to Cesano Maderno.