Australian cyclist Chris Harper delivered the ride of his career to win the penultimate stage of the Giro d’Italia, but he was just as thrilled to see his former teammate, Britain’s Simon Yates, virtually clinch the overall title with a spectacular performance.
The 30-year-old Harper, racing for Team Jayco AlUla, secured his first individual Grand Tour stage win on the race’s demanding 20th stage — the ‘queen stage’ — from Verres to Sestriere. His victory was the result of a heroic solo attack, conquering the brutal Colle delle Finestre climb and finishing 1 minute 49 seconds ahead of the chasing group.
It was a momentous achievement for the seasoned pro, who broke away from a lead group near the summit of the Finestre and held strong to the finish line — his first win in nearly six years.
Behind him, a bigger story was unfolding. Yates, now racing for Team Visma-Lease a Bike, delivered a remarkable attack on the same climb to drop overall leader Isaac del Toro and seize the pink jersey. The British rider, who began the day 1 minute 21 seconds behind, now leads the race by 3:56 over del Toro and 4:43 over Richard Carapaz, with just Sunday’s flat and mostly ceremonial stage into Rome remaining.
Yates’ redemption on the Colle delle Finestre — where he famously cracked and lost the Giro to Chris Froome in 2018 — brought him to tears at the finish.
Harper, who previously raced alongside Yates at Jayco (then Mitchelton-Scott), couldn’t have been happier for his former teammate.
“I don’t know what I’m more excited about — winning the stage or seeing Yatesy take pink,” Harper said. “He’s a great guy and no one deserves the jersey more.
“It’s really meaningful to win on this iconic climb. It’s a brutal stage, and I’m proud I was able to get it done.”
Harper’s victory made him the third Australian to win a stage in the 2025 Giro, joining Kaden Groves (stage six) and Luke Plapp (stage eight).
Initially targeting a high overall placing, Harper’s plans were derailed after falling ill during the second rest day, which forced him onto antibiotics and out of GC contention.
“I came here aiming for the general classification and felt strong during the first week. But after getting sick, I had to refocus and chase a stage win,” he explained.
That win came after he made a decisive move with 16km remaining, eventually dropping his final rival, Alessandro Verre of Arkea-B&B Hotels, to ride solo to the finish.
Still, Harper wasn’t certain of victory until the final moments, aware that Yates was surging behind.
“I radioed the car one last time to ask about the gap — Simon was coming fast. I wasn’t confident until I hit the 1.5km mark, then I knew I could hold on. That was a big relief,” he said.
“When the route was released, I had this stage circled. I wanted to do something here and bring some closure.”
