Del Toro adds 5 seconds to his Giro lead and Pedersen wins his fourth stage

VICENZA, Italy (AP) — Mexican rider Isaac Del Toro keeps on adding to his Giro d’Italia lead — even if it’s just a few seconds per day.

Del Toro’s third-place finish in the 13th stage on Friday, which had a short but steep uphill finale, extended his lead over UAE Team Emirates teammate Juan Ayuso by five seconds.

Danish rider Mads Pedersen claimed his fourth stage win of the race with a burst of acceleration up to the Monte Berico sanctuary.

Wout van Aert crossed second with the same time as Pedersen, and Del Toro finished third, two seconds behind but three seconds ahead of all the other overall contenders.

For the second straight day, Del Toro also picked up a two-second bonus during an intermediate sprint with 10 kilometers to go, while Ayuso picked up four seconds.

In the overall standings, Del Toro leads Ayuso by 38 seconds, with Antonio Tiberi 1:18 back in third.

Simon Yates was fourth, 1:20 behind, and Primoz Roglic fifth, 1:35 behind.

Del Toro became the first Mexican to lead the Giro on Sunday when he finished second.

“All the riders from the top 20 are crazily strong. They are Grand Tours winners, podium finishers, etc. and I’m the new guy here,” Del Toro said. “Maybe on paper I’m not the favorite but I have to be strong and listen to the guys in the team.”

He's riding his second Grand Tour after placing 36th in the Spanish Vuelta last year.

The 180-kilometer (112-mile) route from Rovigo to Vicenza was mostly flat — until the finale, which featured two ascents to Monte Berico, with an average gradient of 7.1% with the finishing meters at 12%.

Pedersen also won Stages 1, 3 and 5.

The mostly flat 14th stage on Saturday follows a 195-kilometer (121-mile) route from Treviso over the border into Slovenia with a finish in Nova Gorica. Then on Sunday, there’s a big climb up Monte Grappa at the stage’s midpoint.

The Giro ends in Rome on June 1.

AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling

ADDS THE NAME Denmark's Pedersen Mads of Lidl–Trek Team, left, competes during the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Rovigo to Vicenza, Italy, Friday, May 23, 2025. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

Mexico's Isaac Del Toro of Uae Team Emirates, centre, and Belgium's Wout van Aert of UCI WorldTeam Visma–Lease a Bike, left, compete during the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Rovigo to Vicenza, Italy, Friday, May 23, 2025. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Denmark's Pedersen Mads of Lidl–Trek Team, left, competes during the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Rovigo to Vicenza, Italy, Friday, May 23, 2025. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

Mexico's Isaac del Toro of Uae Team Emirates celebrates after the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Rovigo to Vicenza, Italy, Friday, May 23, 2025. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

Wout van Aert of Belgium competes during the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Rovigo to Vicenza, Italy, Friday, May 23, 2025. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Mexico's Isaac del Toro of Uae Team Emirates, left, and Poland's Majka Rafal of Uae Team Emirates compete during the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Rovigo to Vicenza, Italy, Friday, May 23, 2025. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

The pack rides during the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Rovigo to Vicenza, Italy, Friday, May 23, 2025. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Mexico's Isaac Del Toro of Uae Team Emirates competes at the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Rovigo to Vicenza, Italy, Friday, May 23, 2025. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)