'Podium still within reach' for Simon Yates who accepts Giro d'Italia victory is beyond him now
Yates lost time on the bitterly cold stage 16 despite encouraging signs two days prior on the Zoncolan

Simon Yates says the maglia rosa is now beyond him at the Giro d'Italia, after losing time on stage 16, and will now aim to take a podium spot, which is still "well within reach".
“It was a difficult stage, not what I was looking for, but I did my best," the BikeExchange rider said after the finish. "The victory is a bit far away now, but the podium is still well within reach, so we’ll keep the head up, keep the chin up and go from there."
Yates was distanced on the Passo Giau, the day's major test, and eventually finished 11th, losing 2-37 to stage winner Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), two minutes to second-place Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious), and over a minute to EF Education-Nippo's Hugh Carthy.
The result was the Brit slipping from second and a minute-and-a-half behind Bernal to fifth and four minutes adrift, but with plenty of uphill kilometres still to come in the final week of the Italian Grand Tour.
“It was a difficult stage, a little bit less difficult because we didn’t run the full stage. Lucky we didn’t as it was cold enough today and I think they (RSC race organisers) made the correct decision," Yates' sports director Matt White said. "It was cold and if we had gone over those other two passes in those temperatures, we would have seen even bigger gaps, so I think it was the best decision for rider safety."
White says that Yates and the team will now reset and get ready to go on the offensive as they try to claim a podium spot before arriving in Milan.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"With us, it didn’t go as planned. You have to manage your bad days; they are just as important as managing your good days. There’s still a lot of racing to come, there’s a well-deserved rest day tomorrow and then we press reset and attack our last block before Milan.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Jonny was Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor until 2022.
I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
I have tested over a dozen locks in the last year, and I ended up actually buying this one, which is now over 30% off at Amazon US
The OnGuard Pitbull Mini is a brilliant little lock that balances a high-security level with a low weight, and with this Amazon US discount, it's yours for under $40
-
Are todays RRPs just fairytales?
The Undercover Mechanic examines the impact of cut-price bikes and components
-
'We're definitely not done yet' - Olav Kooij sprints to victory on stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia
Perfect lead out from Wout van Aert sets up the Dutchman in the final kilometre
-
'I never thought I would do this' - Daan Hoole beats Josh Tarling to time trial victory on Giro d’Italia stage 10 as Isaac del Toro retains race lead
Hoole wins the day with a time of 32:30 in Pisa, Tarling finishes seven seconds down
-
Giro d’Italia stage 10: key rider time trial start times
Race leader Isaac del Toro set to roll down the start ramp at 16:40 local time, Josh Tarling off at 14:36
-
Giro d'Italia stage 10 time trial: Live streams, timings, where to watch
It's an important day at the 2025 Giro d'Italia – here are the broadcast details and start times for the stage 10 time trial from Lucca to Pisa today.
-
The rapid rise of Isaac del Toro - Could a 21-year-old from Mexico challenge at the Giro d'Italia?
In the Baja California native, UAE Emirates-XRG appear to have found yet another potential Grand Tour contender
-
Wout van Aert wins sensational Giro d'Italia stage nine over the gravel as Isaac Del Toro moves into pink
Exhilarating stage saw Primož Roglič and Tom Pidcock lose time after a crash on the strade bianche
-
‘An indescribable emotion’ - Italian veteran Diego Ulissi seals dream to wear pink on home roads during Giro d'Italia gravel stage
The XDS-Astana rider took over the pink jersey from Primož Roglič on stage 8
-
Luke Plapp solos to win action-packed Giro d'Italia stage 8 as Ulissi steals pink from Roglič
Australian plays his tactics perfectly on an attacking day through the Apennines