Trek may not have attracted much pre-race attention but in the first week of the race the team has been one of the key protagonists. Today they animated the first stage with a long-distance attack from Julian Arredondo and a great final move by Robert Kiserlovski.

It was a courageous, gritty effort.

Julian Arredondo joined nine other riders in a breakaway, which formed after 30 kilometers of the 179-kilometer stage eight.  The diminutive Colombian dropped his breakaway companions and held a solo lead over the leg-shattering final climbs only to be caught with less than two kilometers remaining. However, all was not lost as Robert Kiserlovski pounced from the decimated chase group - containing all the pre-race favorites - to finish second on the stage, passed only by Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) in the final meters.

“I gave everything, everything, everything! I had nothing left at the end," Arredondo said. "I think I died and tomorrow I will be found in the cemetery.”

“At the end when we lost the opportunity with Julian, it was fantastic what Robert did," sports director Adriano Baffi said. "I had made a video of this climb, so he knew it somewhat, and that helped. It was a perfect move by Robert, but when you have Ulissi on your wheel there is nothing you can do.”

Trek Factory Racing, already with two 3rd places and two 2nd places in the first seven stages, added another near miss to its Giro palmarès with the second place atop the  summit finish to Montecopiolo. The beloved and hard sought win eluded, once again, a determined and brave team effort for the Giro's eighth stage.

“It has been second, second, second, third, third  - we really want to win now! It’s hard to always finish so close," Baffi said. "For what Julian did today, he deserved the victory. Although we still do not have anything to really show – we have built a lot of confidence - our Giro so far has looked very good.”

Arredondo, despite falling short with his herculean bid for the stage victory, will wear the blue mountain leader’s jersey tomorrow. Trek Factory Racing, for the second consecutive stage, claimed the best team of the day.

“I came to the Giro to win a stage, and that goal still remains," he said. "Today was so close, and in the end it’s disappointing, but that’s racing.  I am here first most to help Robert, and when I have the chance, I will try again. Today I felt good until the last kilometers. Overall, I am happy with my day – and it’s nice to get the mountain’s jersey. I will try to keep it as long as I can.”

Cadel Evans (BMC) moved in to the maglia rosa. Robert Kiserlovski, after the first proper test of the GC today, moved to 9th place (+1’49”).

“Today I felt good," Kiserlovski said. "I wanted to attack earlier, but we had Arredondo in the front so I told myself wait, wait, wait. At the end I jumped and I did a sprint of around 500m – a steep 500m!  I can say that I am really happy with this stage.”