'Del Toro gave away Giro in the most stupid way' - Dumoulin weighs in on Finestre mayhem

Speaking at the 'De Laatste Etappe' theater show in Utrecht on Monday evening, Dumoulin couldn't hide his disbelief at the young Mexican's approach during the crucial Colle delle Finestre stage, where Simon Yates ultimately secured overall victory.

"I really turned it off," said Dumoulin said, according to Wielerflits. "I really couldn't understand that Del Toro and UAE Emirates XRG were just giving away that Giro overall victory in the most stupid way. Del Toro would have won that Giro easily! Yes, of course Yates had a super day and maybe he would have ridden away from it on the Finestre, but of course never with that much lead."

The pivotal moment came when Del Toro and Richard Carapaz became locked in a tactical battle on the Finestre, allowing Yates to break away with assistance from Wout van Aert. Stef Clement, also present at the event, described it as "the chess game of cycling" where Yates "wove three sides into one."

Dumoulin's frustration was palpable as he recalled his reaction. "That's just purely because Del Toro... I don't know what he was doing. I still don't understand it to this day. It just made me angry myself," he laughed. "So I turned off the TV. Yes, really."

Despite his criticism of the tactical errors, the Dutchman was quick to praise Del Toro's abilities. "While I think Del Toro is a fantastic rider, really insane. I hope he will make it difficult for Tadej Pogačar in the coming years, maybe he will have to go to another team. That would be fantastic."

Dumoulin also offered a word of caution for the young rider, drawing from his own experience. "Only that Giro was very unfortunate. Del Toro will sometimes kick himself for the head because he realises that it might have been his chance then. You never know. I also thought that I would have many chances of wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour de France one day. But I can tell you: that never happened. Opportunities don't always come anymore."