As it happened: Late GC attack on stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia!

A look at today's stage 11 profile.

The stage kicks off in half an hour with a 7.5km ride through the neutral zone.

2025 Giro d'Italia stage 11 preview - Mountains return for midweek sparring in the Apennines

Wednesday's race covers 185km from Viareggio to Castelnovo Né Monti

Check out Tuesday's stage 10 time trial results below.

Giro d'Italia: Daan Hoole wins stage 10 TT as Isaac del Toro holds maglia rosa

Hoole takes surprise win against pre-stage favourite Josh Tarling as Roglic gains time in overall

Giro d'Italia time trial brings subtle GC shifts, but the real race of truth is still to come – Analysis

Primož Roglič and Juan Ayuso on convergent trajectories, with battle looming in a climb-loaded second half

Some news away from the Giro this morning as the Tour de France has unveiled details of its final stage in Paris.

It's unlikely to be one for the sprinters as race organisers ASO have added three climbs of the Montmartre late in the stage.

The 2025 Tour de France will climb Montmartre just 6km from the finish on final stage

Today's stage 11 will feature 3,800 metres of climbing, but the biggest test, the 13.8km, 8.8% Passo San Pellegrino, lies over 90km from the finish line.

Isaac Del Toro continues in the race lead today after defending the maglia rosa in the stage 10 time trial.

Check out the current Giro d'Italia GC standings here.

15 minutes until the riders roll out in Viareggio.

Del Toro remains in the pink jersey, but with his lead reduced after a challenging time trial yesterday. Although the second half of this stage is a lot less complicated than the first, the San Pellegrino mountain will still be a stern test of his climbing ability, especially as he enters unknown territory competing for GC into the second week of a Grand Tour.

Primož Roglič gained some time yesterday in the time trial, but has been in the wars with two crashes in the space of three days. He still has ground to make up to take the pink jersey, and has no more time trials to depend upon to gain time, so will have to attack at some point - could today be the stage for a surprise, ambitious move?

The riders have left the unofficial start, and will be racing for real in about fifteen minutes. 

Blue skies have greeted the riders at the start today, much to many's relief after yesterday's treacherous rain.

Although the fearsome San Pellegrino is to come later, the first section of this race is flat, which will give multiple riders the chance to get into the day’s breakaway, rather than just the climbers. It could be a huge fight at the start.

The official start has been delayed a little, but the riders will see the flag shortly. 

OFFICIAL START

And they're off!

Wout van Aert attacks right from the off. He must mean business today.

A few riders joined Van Aert, but they've all been brought back.

A group of four have a lead of a few seconds.

Martin Marcellusi, Owain Doull, Fabio Van den Bossche and Francisco Muñoz are the four riders.

180KM TO GO

The quartet has a lead of 17 seconds over the peloton, but there are some riders in between chasing them.

One of those chasing riders is Mads Pedersen, who's dragging about 10 other riders with him.

The Pedersen group has been caught.

Muñoz has dropped out of the lead group.

Although there are no official climbs until San Pellegrino, the riders are currently climbing Montemagno, which rises at 4.4% for 3km.

The three leaders have been caught on this uphill and the race is all back together. 

The attacks keep coming, but nothing is sticking.

170KM TO GO

The climb now complete, the riders are descending gently, and the terrain is proving difficult for anyone to attack and get a gap.

Ben Turner leads a group of 6 that are just off the front of the peloton by a second or two.

Wout van Aert and others joined them, but the peloton were not happy to let them go.

Pedersen and Van Aert are at the front together by a few seconds. That's some firepower!

Martin Marcellusi dragged the peloton back to that dangerous duo. It required some effort, but again the race is back together. 

160KM TO GO

Still no attack has stuck. This could be a tiring, drawn-out battle that continues deep into the stage. Exhausting for the riders, but entertaining for us!

Mattia Cattaneo and Yannis Voisard have got the biggest gap anyone has managed for a while.

Their lead is about ten seconds, and there's at least one rider chasing in between.

The chasers have been brought back, but Cattaneo and Voisard have increased their lead to 15 seconds.

150KM TO GO

20 seconds now for Voisard and Cattaneo. There are surely more attacks to come from riders trying to join them.

More attacks are indeed being made, but rather than getting away, they’re succeeding only in bringing the leading duo’s gap back down to under ten seconds.

Cattaneo and Voisard are back in the peloton, and once again the race is all back together. 

Voisard and Cattaneo, before they were caught.

Steven Kruijswijk and Xabier Mikel Azparren are the latest riders to go clear, and have built a lead of a few seconds. 

An intermediate sprint is coming up in a couple of kilometres. That was presumably why Mads Pedersen was trying to get up the road earlier, and with only two riders up the road for now, there are points on offer.

However, more riders have jumped out of the peloton - Anthony Perez, Alessandro Tonelli, Marco Marcellusi and (once again) Mattia Cattaneo.

140KM TO GO

Azparren takes the maximum points from Kruijskijk, while the rest of the counter-attackers take the rest. That left no points available for the peloton, so no sprint among Pedersen and co.

The counter-attackers have been brought back, leaving just Kruijswijk and Azparren ahead of the peloton.

That pair have now also been caught, as the attacks keep coming.

By taking a few points in the intermediate sprint from the counter-attacks, Alessandro Tonelli reduced his deficit to Mads Pedersen in the points classification by a little, but remains far adrift. Here are the updated rankings:

1 Mads Pedersen 152

2 Alessandro Tonelli 64

3 Olav Kooij 55

4 Casper Van Uden 50

5 Wout van Aert 43

We've just completed the first hour of racing, in which 54km have been ridden, and no breakaway has been formed. It's breathless stuff.

130KM TO GO

The terrain is getting tougher again, and another uncategorised climb is coming up. This could help a break to finally go clear.

There's been a split in the peloton, with about 30 riders clear from the rest of the peloton.

Del Toro has made the split, and is right at the front, marking Tiberi.

It's calmed down again - the split has been healed.

They’re on the uncategorised climb now, and riders are making moves.

Anthony Perez and Florian Stock have gone clear.

They've been brought back, and there are a flurry of other moves.

The calibre of climbers making moves has increased on this uncategorised climb - Wout Poels and Romain Bardet are among those trying to go clear.

Poels is pressing on at the front, and the race is breaking up behind him.

Wilco Kelderman has joined Poels, and they have a lead of about 5 seconds. They're looking strong.

After Kruijswijk tried earlier, now Visma-Lease a Bike have Kelderman up the road. Despite Simon Yates having moved up to 4th on GC, the Visma-Lease a Bike riders are being given freedom to attack.

120KM TO GO

Poels and Kelderman have 20 seconds on the peloton as they descend the uncategorised climb. This is looking good for the Dutch pair, both of whom are quality climbers. 

The riders are approaching the foot of Alpe San Pellegrino, where the race is about to change drastically. While the roads have undulated up until now, this climb ascends at truly horrible gradients, averaging 8.8% for 13.8km.

An interesting development here, as a large counter-attacking group has gone clear from the peloton and are pursuing Poels and Kelderman. Vacek, Bilbao and Fortunato are among those present.

That group has got bigger as more riders have bridged to them from the peloton. 

110KM TO GO

With just 4km to go until the start of the mountain, Kelderman and Poels are 8 seconds ahead of the counter-attacking group, which contains over 30 riders, and 44 seconds ahead of the peloton.

Mads Pedersen, Daan Hoole, Josh Tarling, Nairo Quintana and Filippo Zana are some of the other riders in that chase group.

Kelderman and Poels have been caught by the chase group.

Well, they’ve been caught by Fortunato and an Arkéa–B&B Hotels rider, while the rest of the group are still a few seconds behind

The peloton have slowed, and allowed the leaders a gap of over a minute.

ALPE SAN PELLEGRINO

We've started the climb - the legs are really going to start hurting now!

The lead group is back together again, with Mads Pedersen setting the pace. He's presumably working for teammate Mathias Vacek, who has done such great work for him in the past week and a half.

Already the lead group is breaking up on the lower slopes of the mountain, as the non-climbers drop out.

Meanwhile in the peloton, UAE Team Emirates XRG  have taken control and are setting a steady pace, 1-25 behind.

Simone Petilli attacks out of the breakaway group.

Some riders are being dropped out of the peloton - including David Gaudu, one of the pre-race outside favourites. The Frenchman still seems to be suffering from his crash on Sunday.

Petilli has been brought back, and Pedersen is setting the pace.

Pedersen's pace is too much for many of the riders in the break, including his teammate and yesterday's winner Hoole.

Fortunato attacks out of the break, and has a gap. He's on a mission for KOM points.

Fortunato has 35 seconds already. He's committed to this move.

Incidentally, the rider in this group placed highest on GC is Mathias Vacek, at 3:43.

100KM TO GO

Fortunato is 30 seconds ahead of the rest of the breakaway, who are 50 seconds ahead of the peloton. There's still a long way to go to the top of the mountain. 

Isaac Del Toro is safely in the bunch, with the other GC contenders. 

The break is breaking up, with anout 15 riders going clear from the rest.

Among those dropped on Vacek, who doesn't have the legs despite the work from Pedersen earlier on the climb.

5km from the summit, Fortunato is 35 seconds ahead of the peloton, and 1-32 ahead of the peloton. UAE continue to lead the latter, and aren't letting the break have much leeway.

Attack from Luke Plapp out of the breakaway.

Bilbao and Quintana have gone with him.

Frigo, Poels and Oldani have joined that trio.

As the gradient kicks up to an extreme 18%(!), Plapp, Quintana, Poels and Bilbao have gone clear.

Still Fortunato holds his lead, which remains at 35 seconds ahead of the chasing quartet. 

BERNAL ATTACK

Activity in the peloton, as Egan Bernal attacks!

Ayuso and Del Toro have latched onto his wheel.

Bernal's teammate Castroviejo has dropped back from the break and is setting a pace. This is another eciting move from Ineos, in keeping with their new attacking approach.

The other GC riders are bridging up to them, but not all of them - Adam Yates is struggling and adrift. 

There are about 15 riders in the pink jersey group. Simon Yates is at the back of the group.

Fortunato is 1km from the summit. This GC action is bad for his chances for the stage win, but he should still get the KOM points at the top. He's 40 seconds ahead of the chasing group, and 1-12 ahead of the pink jersey group.

Quintana has gone clear of Poels, Bilbao and Plapp.

Fortunato is about to reach the top.

That's it, Fortunato is first to the summit. The winner of Monte Zoncolan a few years ago has conquered another of the Giro's great climbs.

Quintana, Bilbao, Poels and Plapp reach the top together, 56 seconds later.

Only a few second later, Majka leads the pink jersey group to the top. All the GC favourites are there apart from Adam Yates, who is just a few seconds behind.

90KM TO GO

With 90km still to ride, this isn't looking good for the break's chances of contesting for the stage win. But with the day's headline climb now finished, will the GC teams continue to press on in the peloton, or sit up?

The peloton has already slowed on this descent, falling to almost a minute behind the Quintana/Plapp/Bilbao/Poels group.

McNulty was another GC rider dropped out of the pink jersey group on the climb in the aftermath of Bernal's attacks. He's trying to rejoin on the descent.

Plapp had been distanced by the other three chasers, but is back with them now.

Fortunato has allowed himself to be caught by the chasing quartet.

80KM TO GO

So we now have a new lead group of five riders, whose lead on the peloton stands at 1-30 as they continue the long descent. 

Here's Fortunato on the climb, after he'd made his attack. He'll wear the blue jersey for another day having claimed the points at the top.

Riders dropped on the climb are gradually rejoining the peloton, including Tom Pidcock.

Here are the updated KOM rankings after the many points given out at the top of the Alpe San Pellegrino:

1 Fortunato 138

2 Ayuso 52

3 Double 36

4 Tarozzi 32

5 Del Toro 26

6 Bilbao 24

7 Moniquet 22

8 Plapp 20

9 Quintana 20

10 Bernal 19

It’s game on again for the break. Their lead is growing on the descent, and is nearing two minutes.

70KM TO GO

Still the riders descend. In fact, they've only completed about half of it, the way down being a lot less steep than the way up.

UAE Team Emirates XRG  are leading the peloton on the descent, setting a decent tempo but nothing too fast. They're keeping things under control, but you'd assume they'd be happy to let the break contest the stage win rather than work to catch them. 

With two riders in the lead group, XDS Astana are in a very strong position. You’d imagine Fortunato must be tired after his efforts alone up Alpe San Pellegrino, but could still play a key role helping teammate Wout Poels as he searches for a first Giro stage win that would see him complete the Grand Tour treble.

Nairo Quintana has even more experience than the 37-year-old Wout Poels, having not only won multiple Giro stages, but also the whole thing in 2014. He’s endured several lean years since, however - could this be the day he wins his first stage at Grand Tour level since 2019?

By contrast, Luke Plapp’s last Grand Tour stage win came a mere four days ago. The Australian has blossomed at this Giro, and is in contention for another win today from the break. 

Finally, Pello Bilbao is the fifth member of the breakaway, and is searching for his third career Giro stage win. Hunting stages was always the plan, having dropped out of GC contention right from the start, and this is his first shot at doing so from the break.

60KM TO GO

Of course, these leaders still have to hold off the peloton and survive to the finish before they can start thinking too confidently about racing against each other for the stage win, but it’s looking good for now. They’re lead has grown a little in the last few kilometres to just over two minutes.

Here's some idea for what both the gradients, and the crowds, were like on the Alpe San Pellegrino.

50KM TO GO

The break's lead continues to grow, to 2-17. They're about to start climbing again, up the category two Toano (11.1km at 4.9%).

Fortunato leads the break as they begin the climb.

UAE Team Emirates XRG are controlling the peloton on the climb, with a long line of domestiques at the front.

The break’s lead is holding steady on this limb, remaining at about 2-15. No sign of any GC action yet in the peloton.

This is still looking good for the break. The gap is slowly growing, now up to over 2-30.

40KM TO GO

2-45 now for the break. They're less than 1km from the top of the climb, where we can anticipate Fortunato taking the points uncontested. 

Fortunato does indeed take the points at the top.

Here are the updated rankings:

1 Fortunato 156

2 Ayuso 52

3 Double 36

4 Tarozzi 32

5  Quintana 28

6 Bilbao 28

Just after the peloton summit the climb (2:47 after the break), Mads Pedersen takes to the front and ups the pace. What are Lidl-Trek up to?

Pedersen’s work has seen the gap decrease a bit, to 2-20.

30KM TO GO

This is getting a bit worrying for the break. Their leads gone down to 2 minutes, wit 30km to go including another climb.

Still Fortunato sets the pace in the break, and still Pedersen leads the peloton. At the moment the latter is moving quicker, reducing the lead to 1-40. This is getting tense.

Mechanical for Jay Vine, who's dropped back for a bike change.

25KM TO GO

The gap's down to 1-30. Pedersen and Lidl are getting assistance now too, from Q36.5.

Mechanical for Poels!

Poels is staying in the lead group for now, but has just had a word with his team car. It seems to be a gear problem.

Quintana and Fortunato have a little sprint for the Red Bull kilometre. The Colombian came out on top, and gained a few seconds.

Both might therefore still have GC aspirations, despite being 9:38 and 6:21 down respectively.

20KM TO GO

1-10 is the gap as they enter the final 20km. Lidl are still really going for it with Pedersen. They must be planning on launching Ciccone on the final climb, coming up in a few kilometres. 

Bilbao went the wrong way round a traffic island, but is back with the leaders now.

Still Pedersen leads the peloton, as the gap comes down to under a minute for the first time.

The final climb coming up is Pietra di Bismantova, which rises at 5.9% for 5.7km. It's not the hardest climb, but still looks set to see some GC action based on how the peloton is approaching it.

15KM TO GO

50 seconds for the leaders now. This is still going to be a tight one - do any of the breakaway riders have enough left in the tank for the climb?

Richard Carapaz is being brought back into the peloton by a teammate, having dropped back for some reason.

The advantage is swinging back to the leaders. The gap's grown, back up to 55 seconds. 

At long last, Pedersen is done. He's sat up and dropped out of the peloton. Chapeau for another fine day on the saddle, this time in selfless service of his teammates.

The heat is on as they approach the climb, and the GC teams up the pace for positioning…and as a result, the break’s lead is tumbling.

PIETRA DI BISMANTOVA

They're on the climb now, with the lead obliterated to a mere 15 seconds.

Poels has attacked, but they're unlikey to have a big enough lead now.

10KM TO GO

EF lead the peloton on the climb.

Fortunato has been dropped out of the group and back into the peloton.

CARAPAZ ATTACK

Richard Carapaz has attacked out of the peloton.

Nobody's gone with him, he's gone clear.

He's caught and passed the break, who are brought back into the peloton.

DEL TORO ATTACK

The pink jersey is on the move!

Del Toro hasn't been able to get away.

Caurso leads the pink jersey group, Tiberi on his wheel.

Carapaz still leads the race, by 10 seconds.

There are about 20 riders left in the chasing peloton.

15 seconds now for Carapaz.

Rafał Majka has taken over control at the front of the peloton.

Still Carapaz's leads grows, to 30 seconds. He's up to 6th on the virtual GC already.

There's 2km left of this climb, and then another 4.5km to the finish.

5KM TO GO

Majka's pace has stopped Carapaz's lead growing any more, keeping him pegged at 30 seconds.

Carapaz has crested the climb with his lead still at around 30 seconds. He looks good for the stage win!

It's not over yet, though. With 3km to go, it's come down a bit to 25 seconds. 

The road undulates up and down from the top of the climb to the finish. It's not going to be easy for Carapaz.

2km to go, the gap is 20 seconds.

1KM TO GO

Carapaz goes under the flamme rouge, his lead at 18 seconds. He should hold on...

Carapaz is nearly there, while the chasing pink jersey group focus on the bonus seconds on offer for 2nd and 3rd place. 

RICHARD CARAPAZ WINS

Victory for Carapaz!

Del Toro wins the sprint for 2nd place, about 10 seconds behind Carapaz.

Ciccone was third, claiming the rest of the bonus seconds.

Pidcock was 4th, Bernal 5th, Tiberi 6th, Ayuso 7th.

That result will see Carapaz catapult from 9th to 6th on GC, leapfrogging McNulty, Adam Yates and Ciccone.

That was some display of strength from Carapaz, who claims the fourth Giro stage win of his career, and the 8th in all Grand Tours.

There were 17 riders in the peloton that sprinted for 2nd place - but missing among them was both Adam Yates and Brandon McNulty. They finished 10 seconds and 21 seconds adrift respectively, and therefore slip to 9th and 8th on GC, passed by both Carapaz and Ciccone.

Carapaz looked so strong today, that he’s also put his hat in the GC ring, as well as winning the stage. Most of the time he has lost so far have been in the time trials, and he’s climbing really well. As a former winner of this race, he’s a genuine candidate for the pink jersey. 

Despite losing time to Carapaz, this is another successful day for Isaac del Toro, who has solidified his lead in the GC by gaining bonus seconds in the sprint for second-place. So long as he keeps doing that, he will continue to have protected status at UAE Team Emirates XRG - for whom, incidentally, Juan Ayuso failed to sprint with his usual speed, and didn’t pick up any bonus seconds.

Here's Del Toro winning the sprint for second.

Carapaz’s victory was also a triumph for EF, who set him up brilliantly on the climb. They won the battle for positioning at the bottom, before the Ecuadorian launched his race-winning move. 

Lidl-Trek must be more disappointed, having failed to make their own move despite all the work Pedersen did to bring back the break.

Thanks for joining us today. After today’s tough climbing, the sprinters get another chance to come to the fore tomorrow, for what’s likely to be the first bunch sprint since last Thursday. Be sure to return tomorrow!