Daan Hoole triumphs in wet time trial as Del Toro holds Giro lead

PISA: Daan Hoole delivered an impressive performance to claim victory in the 28.6km individual time trial in Pisa on Tuesday, despite challenging wet conditions.

The 6ft 6in Dutch rider completed the course in a remarkable time of 23 minutes and 27 seconds, securing his second major career win and marking the fourth stage victory for his team, Lidl-Trek.

Hoole’s win was especially notable given the difficult weather in Tuscany, which made the time trial one of the toughest in recent memory.

As the main favourites tackled the rain-soaked course, Hoole demonstrated both composure and power, finishing with a significant margin ahead of his rivals.

“I’m so happy, and there are so many people I need to thank. I just can’t believe it,” Hoole said following his second major career triumph.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Mexican rider Juan Sebastián Molano Del Toro of Team UAE retained the overall lead he took during the white gravel test on stage nine.

However, Del Toro lost 48 seconds to his team leader, Spain’s Juan Ayuso, who now sits second overall, 25 seconds behind.

Italian Antonio Tiberi of Bahrain is third, trailing by 1 minute and 1 second, while Simon Yates of Visma moved up to fourth place at 1 minute and 3 seconds behind. Primož Roglič holds fifth position, 1 minute and 18 seconds back.

Roglič, who lost 1 minute and 15 seconds on Sunday and suffered a fall during his recon ride on Tuesday, struggled in Pisa, slipping back in the general classification.

Darren Rafferty finished 155th on the stage and currently ranks 88th overall.