Van Aert Edges Del Toro in Thrilling Giro Stage

Wout Van Aert wins the Giro d'Italia stage 9 with a late surge, overtaking Isaac Del Toro on the narrow streets of Siena.

Wout Van Aert claimed a thrilling victory on stage nine of the Giro d'Italia, outpacing Isaac Del Toro in a late sprint to the finish. Despite appearing exhausted in the final kilometer, Van Aert recovered to overtake Del Toro and take the stage win.

Del Toro, riding for UAE Team Emirates, secured second place and took the pink jersey as the overall leader. Giulio Ciccone of Lidl-Trek completed the podium with a strong third-place finish. Van Aert's win showcased his remarkable endurance, while Del Toro's performance marked a significant moment for the young Mexican rider.

Wout van Aert has stage wins at all three Grand Tours (Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España) 🤩👏 pic.twitter.com/V52EusijI4

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) May 18, 2025

Pre-race favorite Primož Roglič's chances took a hit after a crash and a puncture, causing him to lose significant time. He dropped to 10th place in the general classification, trailing leader Isaac Del Toro by 2 minutes and 25 seconds.

The 181-kilometer stage from Gubbio to Siena brought a significant shake-up in the Giro's race for the pink jersey. The gravel sectors, reminiscent of Strade Bianche, played to Wout Van Aert's strengths, allowing him to claim victory.

“This victory means a lot to me, I almost can't explain it,” Van Aert said. “It had to be here, I believe, because this place is where my road career started back in 2018.”

Wout Van Aert, a 30-year-old Giro debutant, leveraged his experience to secure a thrilling stage win. Having previously finished third in the Strade Bianche in both 2018 and 2019, before claiming victory in 2020, Van Aert drew on this expertise to outperform his rivals.

Van Aert was part of a chase group that successfully reeled in an earlier breakaway. As the stage wore on, he and Isaac Del Toro broke clear of contenders like Egan Bernal with 15 kilometers remaining. The duo then engaged in an intense battle for the stage win, with Van Aert ultimately prevailing over Del Toro.

Meanwhile, drama unfolded in the peloton as Primož Roglič and Tom Pidcock were involved in a crash, both subsequently suffering punctures that left them out of contention. This twist reshuffled the general classification, with Roglič dropping significantly down the standings.

Isaac Del Toro had secured the pink jersey after race leader Diego Ulissi was dropped early in the stage. Heading into the final kilometer, Del Toro appeared poised to take the stage win, having shown strong form. However, Wout Van Aert's late surge denied him the victory.

Wout Van Aert pulled off an impressive comeback, overtaking Isaac Del Toro in the final 400 meters to claim victory on the narrow streets of Siena. Despite letting Del Toro set the pace in the closing stages, Van Aert found an extra gear to take the lead.

“I had to fight all the way to the top through the streets of Siena,” Van Aert said, reflecting on his hard-fought win. He narrowly avoided trouble on the final bend, managing to stay upright and cross the line first.

WOUT VAN AERT WINS AN EPIC IN SIENA💥

The Belgian is BACK with his 50th win and what a way to do it 😍 pic.twitter.com/NqhyPnrEqw

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) May 18, 2025

Wout Van Aert attributed his stage win to his knowledge of the final stretch and experience from racing in Strade Bianche. “And because I know the final pretty well, I needed to do the move in the last three corners. I almost missed the last one, but the experience of Strade Bianche helped me win today.”

Isaac Del Toro holds a comfortable lead in the general classification, with a 1 minute and 13 seconds advantage over Spain's Juan Ayuso. Antonio Tiberi sits third, a further 17 seconds behind. The standings will be put to the test in Tuesday's stage 10, a 28.6km individual time trial from Lucca to Pisa, following Monday's rest day.

Wout Van Aert attributed his stage win to his knowledge of the final stretch and experience from racing in Strade Bianche. “And because I know the final pretty well, I needed to do the move in the last three corners. I almost missed the last one, but the experience of Strade Bianche helped me win today.”

Isaac Del Toro holds a comfortable lead in the general classification, with a 1 minute and 13 seconds advantage over Spain's Juan Ayuso. Antonio Tiberi sits third, a further 17 seconds behind. The standings will be put to the test in Tuesday's stage 10, a 28.6km individual time trial from Lucca to Pisa, following Monday's rest day.