Del Toro Extends Giro d’Italia Lead as Prodhomme Claims Stage 19

Champoluc, Italy – Isaac del Toro, a 21-year-old cyclist from Mexico, increased his lead in the Giro d’Italia during Stage 19 on Friday. He sprinted to a second place finish, allowing him to gain crucial seconds over his closest rival, Richard Carapaz of Ecuador.

Nicolas Prodhomme of France won the stage, riding solo for the last 30 kilometers to secure his first Grand Tour stage win. He finished just under a minute ahead of Del Toro, who is now 43 seconds clear in the overall classification.

Carapaz finished third but could not shake Del Toro, who retains the pink jersey going into the penultimate day of the race. Britain’s Simon Yates, currently in third place overall, lagged behind the leaders and trails Del Toro by one minute and 21 seconds.

The final stretch of the Giro will see cyclists tackle a grueling 20km climb up the Colle delle Finestre on Saturday. According to tradition, the race leader is not attacked during the final stage, which will conclude in Rome.

Prodhomme, riding for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, expressed his joy for the win: “I didn’t want to compete for the GC, I wanted to try and win a stage. To win at the Giro d’Italia makes me very happy.”

Del Toro’s performance on Friday demonstrated his strength as he claimed two seconds in bonus time for his finish. He mentioned, “I had the legs to be with Richard … everyone in our country is starting to see how hard cycling is.”

Team director for Yates, Marc Reef, defended the team’s strategy, stating the day went “exactly as we agreed.” He noted that Carapaz and Del Toro were simply “a bit stronger.”

With just two stages remaining, Del Toro is in a strong position to win the Giro d’Italia, aiming to become the youngest winner since 1940.