Yates and Thomas hone Giro form at Tirreno

GC success at week-long stage race shows Brits set fair for Grand Tour face-off, writes James Shrubsall

- James Shruball

A win at Tirreno-Adriatico by Simon Yates (Mitchelton- Scott) puts the Bury rider among the top favourites for the Giro d’Italia next month. The result will give him confidence that he can finish what he started in the 2018 Giro, where he held the lead for 13 stages, only to capitulate with two days remaining.

Yates took the lead on stage five of the week-long Italian stage race, winning solo at the summit finish of Sassotetto. He held the lead to the finish, surviving the test of the final-day time trial in which Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) exchanged places on the podium behind him, with Thomas ultimately finishing second on GC at 17sec, and Majka a further 12sec back.

Thomas and Majka both rode very consistent races and undoubtedly hope to upset Yates’s plans for the Italian Grand Tour.