UAE Team Emirates-XRG's hopes of a second consecutive Giro-d'Italia title were ended by Simon Yates's sensational ride on the race's penultimate day.
Mexican Isaac del Toro was 43 seconds ahead of Richard Carapaz – and 81 seconds clear of Yates – going into Saturday's Stage 20 and looked set to follow up Tadej Pogacar's unforgettable win last year with anther victory for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
But Visma-Lease a Bike's Yates had not read the script after overhauling Del Toro with a brave solo attack on the gruelling 20km Colle delle Finistre climb, finishing the stage third behind winner Chris Harper and second place Alessandro Verre.
Yates now only has to cross the line intact in Rome to win his second Grand Tour – after the 2018 Vuelta a Espana – ahead of second-place Del Toro and Carapaz in third with the final stage largely a procession around the Italian capital and Vatican City.
In 2018, Yates saw his dreams of winning the Giro crumble on the Colle delle Finestre climb when Chris Froome's attack left him far behind.
But this time he redeemed himself on the same climb to take the lead and Del Toro did not respond even as the cavalry arrived in the form of Wout van Aert, who helped Yates power to the finish.
Ultimately, Del Toro knew he had lost his chance and the 21-year-old eventually crossed the line more than five minutes behind Yates who was in tears after crossing the line.
Yates had lost 30 seconds to Del Toro during Friday's stage but fought back in stunning fashion, and will become the third British rider to win the Giro, after Froome (2018) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (2020).
It capped a tough few days for UAE Team Emirates who had seen young Spanish star Juan Ayuso quit the race after being stung in the eye by a bee.
Del Toro, 21, had won Stage 17 and was bidding to become the youngest winner of the Giro since 1940.
“When the route was released I always had in the back of my mind to try to do something here and close the chapter, let’s say,” said an emotional Yates, who leads Del Toro by three minutes 56 seconds. “I’m still a bit speechless really.
“I maybe look relaxed but I also had doubts this morning, if I could really do something, but the guys they encouraged me and believed in me, so yeah, thanks to them.
“I'm not really an emotional person but I couldn't hold back the tears. It's something I've worked towards year after year and I've had a lot of setbacks but I've finally managed to pull if off.”
Yates ended up finishing the stage just under two minutes behind Harper, who claimed the biggest win of his career at the age of 30 after attacking from the break on the Finestre.
“I don't know what I'm happier about, winning the stage or seeing Yates win pink,” said Harper, who rode with the likely Giro winner at Jayco-AlUla.
“He's an awesome guy and I had the pleasure of riding with him for a couple of seasons and doing a lot of racing with him. I don't think anyone deserves the pink jersey more than him.”
Del Toro spent most of the Finestre ascent just staying on Carapaz's wheel and ended up unable to bridge the gap to Yates, handing over the pink jersey he had held since Stage 9.
“We might have been the strongest, but we weren't the cleverest,” said Carapaz, who was critical of Del Toro's passive performance in the decisive stage of his first Grand Tour.
“In the end, he's lost the Giro, he didn't know how to race well and the cleverest rider won.”
The final stage will honour the late Pope Francis with an unprecedented ride through the Vatican, and new Pope Leo XIV will greet the cyclists as they pass through.
