Nico Denz won stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday as the German rider rode solo to victory in the final stages of the 144 km ride from Morbegno to Cesano Maderno while overall leader Isaac del Toro retained his pink jersey.

Isaac Del Toro, the first Mexican rider to wear the pink jersey, finished safely in the main pack following the 89-mile route from Morbegno to Cesano Maderno, which featured three minor climbs early on before a relatively flat finale.

Mexico’s Isaac del Toro won his first-ever Grand Tour stage after sensationally recovering from being dropped on the day’s penultimate climb. It means the 21-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider extended his lead in the Giro d’Italia’s general classification (GC) to 41 seconds over Richard Carapaz, who finished third on the stage.