Simon Yates of MItchelton-Scott has extended his lead at the Giro d’Italia after winning the Stage 9 summit finish on the Gran Sasso.

Lancashire rider Yates, whose teammate Esteban Chavez leapfrogs defending champion Tom Dumoulin of Team Sunweb to move second overall  after finishing the stage in third place, now leads the race by 32 seconds. 

Dumoulin finished the stage in eighth place, 12 seconds behind Yates, and now lies 38 seconds behind the Briton on the General Classification.

it was another challenging day for Team Sky’s Chris Froome, who together with UAE Team Emirates rider Fabio Aru lost contact with their main rivals on the tough final section of the climb to the summit, each losing more than a minute.

Speaking after the 225km stage from Pesco Sannita, Yates said: “I realise how big it is to win my first stage with the Maglia Rosa.

“That one is for the boys who rode at the front all day. It’s really nice.

“Since the beginning of the day we believed in the possibility of winning the stage as well as defending the Maglia Rosa.”