Britain's Yates seals first Giro title in Rome

Britain's Simon Yates sealed his first Giro d'Italia title by safely crossing the line on the final stage in Rome.

The Bury-born rider, 32, took the leader's pink jersey for the first time in the race on Saturday's stage 20 with a sublime attack on the penultimate climb, having started the day in third.

Yates celebrated with his Visma-Lease a Bike team-mates in a processional ride around the Italian capital following a meeting with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican.

Yates' team-mate Olav Kooij sprinted to his second stage win of the Giro and Visma's third overall, capping a superb race for the Dutch outfit.

"It's the defining moment of my career," said Yates. "I've had some good successes but I don't think anything else comes close.

"It's really still sinking in. An amazing three weeks.

"I will celebrate for sure and we'll see what else is to come."

Yates won the title by three minutes 56 seconds over Mexico's Isaac del Toro, with Ecuador's Richard Carapaz 47 seconds further back in third.

Del Toro, 21, won the white jersey for best young rider, Denmark's Mads Pedersen claimed the mauve points classification jersey and Italy's Lorenzo Fortunato took the blue mountains classification jersey.

It is Yates' second Grand Tour title following his victory in the 2018 Vuelta a Espana.

He is only the second British men's cyclist to win multiple Grand Tours after Chris Froome, who won seven.

Yates is the third British rider to win the Giro, after Froome (2018) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (2020).

His victory comes seven years after a dramatic collapse in the 2018 Giro when he led the race for 13 days only to crack when Froome seized the lead with an astonishing long-range attack two days from Rome.

Yates returned to the Giro in search of victory over the next four consecutive years but fell short, his best finish third place in 2021.

After a two-year break from the race, during which he finished a career-high fourth in the 2023 Tour de , Yates has finally won the Giro at his sixth attempt.

He is set to ride this year's Tour in of team-mate Jonas Vingegaard, who is targeting a third Tour title.

This is Yates' first season riding for Visma, having previously spent all of his professional career with Australian team Jayco–AlUla.

In superbly overhauling a one-minute 21-second deficit to Del Toro on Saturday, Yates effectively guaranteed overall victory, with tradition dictating the race leader is not attacked on the final day.

Yates enjoyed the familiar spoils of the final stage, linking arms while riding alongside his team-mates to pose for photographs and drinking a glass of champagne on the bike.

However, this final 143km route around Rome also featured the race ing inside the Vatican walls for the first time in its 107-year history.

The race entered the Vatican during the neutralised section before the official start, with Yates and the three other classification winners shaking the Pope's hand before the pontiff addressed the peloton.

"You are role models for young people all over the world," he said. "Congratulations to all of you. May you know that you are always welcome here in the Vatican."

The pace ramped up when the peloton entered the final circuit where they would complete eight laps of a 9.5km course.

A six-man break gave the sprinters' teams some concern as they established a 30-second lead but they were reeled in, as were other late attackers.

Pedersen was hunting his fourth stage win but was boxed in as Visma delivered Dutchman Kooij perfectly to the line.

Australia's Kaden Groves took second, with Italy's Matteo Moschetti third and Pedersen fourth.