Del Toro extends Giro lead as Yates drops to third

Isaac del Toro is bidding to be the youngest winner of the Giro since 1940

Mexico's Isaac del Toro retained the pink jersey after victory on stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia as Britain's Simon Yates slipped down to third overall.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Del Toro clinched his first stage win of the tour after he broke away from Frenchman Romain Bardet and Ecuador's Richard Carapaz with two kilometres left.

Del Toro crossed the line in three hours 58 minutes and 48 seconds - four seconds ahead of the second-placed Bardet, with Carapaz third and Yates back in fourth spot.

Del Toro leads the general classification by 41 seconds from EF Education-EasyPost's Carapaz, who has a 10-second advantage over Visma-Lease a Bike rider Yates.

Carapaz had taken more than 90 seconds out of Del Toro's lead after Wednesday's stage 16 to reduce the 21-year-old's advantage to 31 seconds.

However, Del Toro was the freshest of the riders during the descent of the 155km stage from San Michele all'Adige to Bormio to seal his success.

"Everyone wants this [pink jersey] and today I realised that I will never give up and I will always try and stay one step in front," he said after becoming the race's first Mexican stage winner in 23 years and the fourth youngest this century.

"I think this is my third or fourth podium in this year's Giro – it's incredible. I have nothing to lose. Today was not easier than yesterday but I had a better mentality.

"I did this last climb with the team and they gave me the confidence to go for it, full gas."

Carapaz, the 2019 Giro winner, had tried again to break Del Toro on the Mortirolo, the main climb of the stage with an attack near the summit.

The Ecuadorian, 31, opened up a lead of around 30 seconds on Del Toro and Yates, who started the day 26 seconds behind in second place.

But Carapaz was caught again by the main favourites as they approached the short final climb of Le Motte before the descent to the finish.

And it was near the summit of Le Motte where Del Toro responded with his own attack - a move that only Carapaz could follow.

Riding together down the descent, they caught Bardet - the last survivor of the day's breakaway - and would deny the 34-year-old his dream of a Giro stage success to complete his Grand Tour set in his final season as a professional.

With just under two kilometres to go, Del Toro was able to close in on Carapaz and, when he nipped in front, had the power to hold him off in the sprint.

Thursday's 144km stage features three climbs in the first half of the race followed by flat terrain as the riders move from Morbegno to Cesano Maderno.

Stage 17 results

1. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 3hrs 58mins 48secs

2. Romain Bardet (Fra/Team Picnic PostNL) +4secs

3. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/EF Education-EasyPost) +4secs

4. Simon Yates (GB/Visma-Lease a Bike) +15secs

5. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +16secs

6. Derek Gee (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) Same time

7. Damiano Caruso (Ita/Bahrain Victorious) Same time

8. Einer Rubio (Col/Movistar) Same time

9. Max Poole (GB/Team Picnic PostNL) Same time

10. Afonso Eulalio (Por/Bahrain Victorious) Same time

General classification after stage 17

1. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 65hrs 30mins 34secs

2. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/EF Education-EasyPost) +41secs

3. Simon Yates (GB/Visma-Lease a Bike) +51secs

4. Derek Gee (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) + +1min 57secs

5. Damiano Caruso (Ita/Bahrain Victorious) +3mins 6secs

6. Egan Bernal (Col/Ineos Grenadiers) +4mins 43secs

7. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +5mins 2secs

8. Einer Rubio (Col/Movistar) +6mins 9secs

9. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +7mins 45secs

10. Michael Storer (Aus/Tudor Pro Cycling) +7mins 46secs