Ecuador's Richard Carapaz celebrates the stage 14 win that earned him the pink jersey as new leader of the Giro d'Italia ©Getty Images

Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz took over the pink jersey of Giro d’Italia leader today with a sustained drive over the final 28 kilometres of stage 14 that saw him finish more than a minute and a half clear of his nearest challenger on the day, Britain’s Simon Yates.

The Movistar Team rider, who also won stage four, finished the 131 kilometres route from Saint Vincent to Courmayeur in 4hr 2min 23sec, with Yates, representing Mitchelton-Scott, 1min 32sec behind him and Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali, of Bahrain-Merida, third at 1.54.

With seven stages remaining, the 25-year-old Carapaz has thus established himself at the top of the general classification with a time of 58hr 35min 34sec – seven seconds clear of Slovenia’s Primož Roglič, who finished eighth, one of six other riders given the same time as Nibali.

Slovenia’s Primož Roglič, left, and Vincenzo Nibali of Italy are second and third overall behind the new leader of the Giro d'Italia, Richard Carapaz, with seven stages remaining ©Getty Images
Slovenia’s Primož Roglič, left, and Vincenzo Nibali of Italy are second and third overall behind the new leader of the Giro d'Italia, Richard Carapaz, with seven stages remaining ©Getty Images

Roglič’s compatriot Jan Polanc, who began the day with a 2min 57sec lead over him in the overall standings, finished 28th today, 7min 41sec back, and dropped to seventh in the general classification, 3:29 behind Carapaz.

Nibali is third in the overall rankings, 1:47 behind the leader, while Yates’s big effort today lifted him up to ninth overall, at 5:28.

Today was another landmark for a rider who became the first Ecuadorian to win a stage in a Grand Tour last year in taking the Giro's eighth stage.

Racng continues tomorrow with the 232km stage 15 from Ivrea to Como, after which there will be a rest day.