He was written off. Counted out and haunted by the mountain that once crushed him. Simon Yates returned to Monte Grappa not only to ride, but to rewrite his history by winning the Giro d’Italia.

Simon Yates’ story with the Giro d’Italia has been one of heartbreak, resilience, and now, redemption. In 2018, the Brit from Lancashire lost the Maglia Rosa, the leader’s pink jersey, on these very slopes of Monte Grappa. Fast forward to stage 20 of this year’s race, and fate placed him once again on the same punishing mountain range with everything to play for.

Yates began the penultimate stage trailing the race leader, Isaac Del Toro of UAE Team Emirates, by 1 minute and 21 seconds. Del Toro, a 20-year-old sensation riding his debut Grand Tour, had stunned the cycling world by taking control of the race in its early stages, outlasting more seasoned rivals and capitalising on the withdrawals of pre-race favourites.

It had already been a Giro full of drama. Egan Bernal, a former Tour de France winner, made a heroic return to form after a crash so severe that a doctor warned he might never walk again, an accident that nearly ended his career. Top contenders like Juan Ayuso and previous winner Primoz Roglic were forced to abandon. And the unexpected emergence of Del Toro at the top of the general classification (GC). But the drama was far from over.

Once the breakaway full of riders who were not a threat to GC was given a ten-minute gap, EF Education–EasyPost took control of the peloton, ramping up the pace to try and isolate the race leader. Their goal was clear, to crack Del Toro and open the door for the 2019 Giro winner, Richard Carapaz, who started the day in second place, 43 seconds behind the pink jersey. The tempo was brutal, and by the time the climb began in earnest, most of the peloton had been destroyed.

Only three riders were left in contention at the front. Carapaz in second overall, Yates in third, and Del Toro still clinging to the Maglia Rosa. Together, they battled up Monte Grappa, the same mountain that had haunted Yates in 2018.

The mission for both Carapaz and Yates was simple, they had to drop Del Toro if they wanted a shot at winning the Giro. What followed was a relentless barrage of attacks. Yates and Carapaz took turns trying to dislodge the young Mexican, launching five separate efforts in total. But Del Toro clung on every time, matching them blow for blow.

Until one decisive surge from Yates broke the elastic, Carapaz was unable to follow, and Del Toro cracked.

As Yates reached the top of Monte Grappa, in the backdrop of snowy mountains and the dust thrown up from the gravel roads by the TV motorbikes, he was swarmed by the ecstatic Tifosi, leaving barely enough room for a pedal stroke. They knew they were watching history play out in front of their very eyes. “You’ve done Simon! You’ve done it!” One fan could be heard shouting.

However, the job wasn’t over. Yates had built a one-minute gap between himself and the pink jersey. He still needed to create a further 20-second gap to take the virtual race lead.

As he descended from the summit, he was met by his teammate Wout van Aert, deployed earlier in the day in the breakaway as what is known as a satellite rider in a tactical masterstroke.

While Carapaz and Del Toro hesitated, each expecting the other to chase, Yates was given precious time to recover in the valley. Carapaz looked to Del Toro, the race leader, to set the pace. But Del Toro hesitated, knowing full well that if he chased, Carapaz would benefit from his slipstream and likely attack later. If Carapaz chased, he would be giving the man who he had to try and break a free ride.

It was a tactical stalemate that played perfectly into Yates’ hands. While the two rivals stalled, Van Aert had his head down, mouth open, lungs burning, as he buried himself to extend Yates’ lead.

The gap grew rapidly, from one minute to nearly five. It was a stunning turnaround, made possible by smart strategy, team support, and Yates’ sheer strength and determination.

As he approached the finish line five minutes ahead of his rivals, commentator Rob Hatch on TNT Sports delivered what is now already an iconic soundtrack to the moment.

“Very rarely in the history of this sport, perhaps never in the modern history of this sport, has there been quite a turnaround. He trailed by one twenty-one (minutes) at the start this morning. Simon Yates is going to comprehensively defeat the rest of the competition. It’s redemption like we’ve never seen.

“It’s Simon Yates at the Giro d’Italia, and we will take years to understand exactly what’s happened. Not even the best Hollywood scriptwriters could have put this together. It is sensational. Remember where you were. Simon Yates certainly will.”

For Yates, it was more than just a performance. It was personal. He had once led the Giro on these very roads, only to collapse spectacularly in 2018 and lose the race to Chris Froome by 30 minutes. Now, seven years later, at 32 years old, he had conquered the same mountain, exorcising the ghosts of that defeat.

This ride will be remembered for its drama, tactics, and the comeback of a man who refused to let history define him.