Richard Carapaz and EF Education-EasyPost laid it all on the line during stage 20 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia. With the pink jersey still within reach, the American outfit gambled big, aiming to dismantle the race before the Colle delle Finestre. Their commitment to a do-or-die approach was evident as they tore apart the peloton, setting up their Ecuadorian leader for a decisive move. With over 40 kilometers to go, Carapaz attacked. It was bold, even heroic. But did it work?
The strategy was simple: isolate Del Toro, the maglia rosa, on terrain that favoured Carapaz’s climbing prowess. The risk was clear: going early meant exposing themselves to counterattacks. Carapaz initially gained ground with a searing surge, but it wasn’t enough. Del Toro and Simon Yates regrouped and reeled him in quickly. From that moment on, the script changed.
Yates, smart and opportunistic, launched a move with 38.6 km to go that would ultimately win him the stage—and the overall lead. Carapaz, despite his early aggression, slipped down to third on the general classification, finishing more than five minutes behind Yates and just seconds behind Del Toro. The outcome was disappointing, especially considering how much EF Education had invested in the attack.
“To win you need to play like this. The risk is that you can also lose,” said EF sports director Juanma Gárate. “No regrets, not at all. Zero.”
Gárate stood by the team’s approach, but the real issue was what Carapaz did—or didn’t do—on the upper slopes of the Finestre. Instead of forcing Del Toro to contribute to the chase, Carapaz assumed the workload, essentially helping to preserve Del Toro’s GC position while Yates rode into pink. For a former Giro champion, protecting a podium spot should not have taken precedence over winning the race.
EF’s post-stage analysis painted Del Toro as passive, but Carapaz’s failure to pressure him into working sooner was a tactical misfire. Del Toro, unsurprisingly, offered little cooperation, citing his own GC calculations: “I had 1:20 on Simon, so I could let him go a bit. I told Richard I wouldn’t ride. He said ‘Okay’. Then everyone saw what happened.”
Indeed, we did. And while EF’s early aggression was admirable, in cycling—as in betting—strategy trumps sentiment. Yates was the most calculated of the trio, reading the dynamics perfectly. In contrast, Carapaz’s all-in approach backfired, a reminder that in grand tours, there’s a fine line between courageous and careless.
Bottom line: there are no rewards for gallantry in this sport. Carapaz rode to win but got caught in psychological warfare. Ultimately, it was Yates who cashed in. EF Education lit up the stage—but it was Visma-Lease a Bike who walked away with the Giro.