Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx-QuickStep) achieved one of his biggest dreams on a marvelous stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia by riding to an impressive solo win on the gravel roads in Tuscany and riding himself into the maglia rosa. Having joined a 13-rider breakaway after a very fast start, the Italian attacked on the final climb and held off lone chaser Matteo Montaguti (Ag2r) to claim the biggest win of his career. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) split the group of favourites to pieces and Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) was unable to keep up with the best, losing more than a minute and dropping out of the overall standings. Instead, Brambilla moves into the race lead on the eve of the time trial.

 

We have gathered several reacions.

 

Gianluca Brambilla: I had planned this since my third place at Strade Bianche

In the hometown of Giorgio Vasari – one of the leading figure of the Renaissance period – Gianluca Brambilla created his own masterpiece, as he soloed to victory in stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia, a performance which took him right to the top of the general classification. This beautiful reward, which came for all the years of hard work, for himself and for the team, also made up for the disappointment of last yseason, when the Italian was forced to miss his home race due to a broken collarbone, which he suffered just a couple of weeks before the start.

 

This time around, with a few weeks to go until the Giro, Brambilla experienced a whole new feeling, as he and his girlfriend, Cristina, became the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. This only gave an extra boost of confidence and even more motivation to the 28-year-old Italian, who lined up in Netherlands last Friday for what was to be his fifth start in the Corsa Rosa, with the clear goal of making the most out of his participation.

 

Following a couple of quiet stages, in which he lend a hand to his teammates everytime they called for his help, Brambilla waited for the second week-end to rise to prominence, with the stage between Foligno and Arezzo being the one in which he chose to signal his intentions. After the flag was dropped, Brambilla was the first to attack and opened a small gap before being joined by 12 riders, including teammate and fellow countryman Matteo Trentin. The presence of the Paris-Tours winner in the escape was quintessential for Brambi, as he put in a fantastic amount of work at the head of the group, thus ensuring an advantage of four minutes at the foot of the Alpe di Poti, a double-digit climb with 6.4 kilometers of gravel roads.

 

Giacomo Berlato (Nippo-Vini Fantini), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R) and Alessandro De Marchi (BMC) were the first to attack and get a gap, as Brambilla – third in Strade Bianche earlier this year – kept his composure and patiently waited for the sterrato and the 10% ramps to launch his move. On that section, he powered away, caught the three and distanced them in the blink of an eye, opening a 30-second on Montaguti, the only one who tried to get in his wheel. Further back, the peloton was disintegrating and among those to suffer was also race leader Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin), who lost contact with the other GC favourites.

 

After the top of the second-category climb, Brambilla continued to push hard and to increase his advantage over Montaguti and the rest of the chasers, which allowed him to be more relaxed as he cruised through the medieval streets of Arezzo and approached the finish line. Cheered by hundreds of supporters, the Italian got out of the saddle one more time on the uphill roads of the town, before starting his celebration at the end of what was arguably the most spectacular and thrilling stage of this year’s edition.

 

“I’m over the moon today. To be sincere, I was thinking of this stage ever since I came third in Strade Bianche. At the start of the stage I decided to give it a go, but as soon as I got a gap, a group of 12 joined me. Fortunately, Matteo was there, so it was the perfect situation for us. We didn’t get too much space, just 5 minutes, but we stayed up on the road thanks to a fantastic Matteo. During the stage I told him that I have good feelings and he gave it his all, especially in those 20 kilometers leading to the climb, where he went full gas”, Brambilla explained right after the stage.

 

“This is amazing! My idea at the beginning of the Giro was to focus on today's stage and I've made it but I cannot believe that I've done it. I have to thank Matteo Trentin because he did an excellent job. I was the rider who initiated the breakaway but he did most of the work until I rode away in the steep part of the climb. I'm delighted. Everything is going well for me this year. The birth of my daughter Asia twenty days ago has also changed my life. It's beautiful.”

 

The Italian, who claimed his maiden victory at World Tour level and the maglia rosa on the podium in Arezzo, continued:

 

“I let the others attack on the climb, because I knew that the most important section is the one of dirt roads. There I accelerated and it all played into my favour. I pushed hard on both the climb and the descent, where I took some risks. Coming into the last kilometers, I realized that I’m enjoying one of the best moments of my life. I love this sport and I worked really hard every time to get where I am today. In the past years, since joining Etixx – Quick-Step, I became more and more confident, and now I am living the dream. This victory is for my girlfriend, Cristina, and for my daughter, Asia, who was born just a couple of weeks ago. I can’t wait to see them in Asolo. Until then, a hard individual time trial is scheduled, and I’m keen on giving my all on Sunday.

 

 “I was first to go away on a wet descent. Twelve riders came across to me and I later told my team-mate Matteo Trentin that I’d attack on the gravel uphill because I was feeling good. He sacrificed himself for me.

 

"When I saw Montaguti attacking, I thought to myself: ‘Either he knows this dirt road or he's gone too hard,"

 

”The Maglia Rosa is new to me but I’m not new among the top contenders. This year, I’m more confident in my capacities. I want to do a good Giro. The Maglia Rosa wasn’t part of the plan but that’s always hard to plan, although it has always been my dream.  The pink jersey was always my dream but to find myself wearing it, well it feels strange.

 

"I had a plan in mind but I knew it would be difficult to pull off because I was close on general classification, less than two minutes down. I knew that it was a dirt road climb, but I didn't know exactly what kind of dirt road it was going to be.

 

“I thought of the Strade Bianche where I rode strong, but where Cancellara and Stybar passed me in the final meters and victory eluded me. But I also thought about nice things like my girlfriend Cristina and my daughter Asia who was born a month ago and changed our lives. I dedicate this victory to them.

 

"Today was different from the Strade Bianche. The gravel was mostly uphill and it was dry so it was not a problem. Perhaps it would have been harder if it had rained so I used a normal bike.

 

”Being 58kg, I’m not exactly a time trial specialist but I did well at Barolo two years ago and tomorrow’s course is a facsimile of that one. I’ll ride flat out and if I lose the Maglia Rosa, it won’t be a drama. There’ll still be two more weeks of racing to come, and some very hard stages.

 

"I finished fifth in the Barolo time trial, and it was a very similar stage to tomorrow – up and down all the time with a lot of curves and a lot of rain, which might be the case tomorrow too. I'll be setting out last and I'll have the time checks from the others. I'll give it everything. But if I lose the jersey, it won't be a tragedy. There's still two weeks of the Giro to go.

 

"After this victory, I have to work even harder. Tomorrow I'll have to give everything from start to finish. This is the first time I will start a time trial. All riders will be in front of me, and I have to try to catch them.

 

"In Barolo two years ago I finished fifth, so I want to defend my jersey. Of course, Tom Dumoulin is really strong this year. For now, I will enjoy and we'll see tomorrow.

 

"If you want to win you have to fight not only in the race but especially at home, because the hard training is necessary. First, you must have a good person at your side, like my girlfriend Cristina. We are a good team.”

 

Bob Jungels ready to bounce back in Chianti time trial

Besides Gianluca Brambilla's fantastic exploits and getting the top spot in the team classification, Etixx – Quick-Step also has Bob Jungels in the white jersey, as the young Luxembourg champion is still leading the young rider standings:

 

"This has been a really big day for us and we played it really well. It's unbelievable to have both pink and white. In the last climb they started full gas and I didn't have the legs to follow the big guys 100 per cent. But I didn't finish too far off, so it should be some margin to play tomorrow.

 

“This was a big day for our team, we had Matteo [Trentin] and Gianluca [Brambilla] in front. Gianluca was really good in the GC, so the other teams had to work. But nobody wanted to take responsibility. I think Giant-Alpecin was left a little bit alone.

 

”There's one more stage until the second rest day, and in my opinion it will be one of the key stages of this Giro d'Italia. The Chianti time trial is long, technical, has many up and downs, and the weather could play a major role out there, so I'm expecting some pretty big gaps there."

 

“It's a hard time trial. It's pretty technical and depends a bit on the weather. There are a lot of ups and downs. I really think it's going to be one of the critical points of this Giro. The most important is that we have the pink and the white jersey now, which is unbelievable in the first week. We couldn't be more happy.”

 

Matteo Montaguti: If I had been able to follow, I would have won the stage

"My only regret is not being able to stay in the wheel of Brambilla on Alpe di Poti,” Matteo Montaguti said. “I was very good in the second part. I missed 500 meters to catch him in the flat part. If I had stayed with him, he would have got the jersey and I would have won the stage! It's a shame from a personal point of view and also for the team! In the breakaway, Blel (Kadri) rode like crazy for me. I attacked, I wanted to give everything.

 

“Today was a tough day. The break took a while to go because it was hard. We were very scared about the wind and it wasn’t an easy thing to do to get into the break. Brambilla was in fantastic form and of course he was up in the overall standings so it didn’t look like they would let us away. Not everyone was co-operating in the break and then he managed to get some advantage in the end.

 

“I wanted to do a great job to win the stage, I tried to attack. I wanted to anticipate Brambilla because I know that he is stronger than me on the climb and I was caught in the last sector. Maybe if I’d stayed in his wheel but it is too easy to say now.

 

"I promised myself get stressed from trying. For ten days I have thought about this stage. I tried, I did not fear the last climb, but was hoping to find good companions to escape. The situation was not the best, because Brambilla was in the GC and without him I have won. I do not have any regrets. I attacked, I did likke I wanted, the team worked very well and Kadri pulled until the bottom of the climb. I started the hard part and it’s a pity that I missed 500 meters to stay in Brambilla’s wheel. It was not possible to come back to him on the descent because he's very good. I was good, but I did not want to take unnecessary risks. In the flat section, with 15 seconds of disadvantage, it was impossible to get back.

 

"I missed the good day. Maybe it was not today, let's see if in a few days it will be my time. Too bad, but I'll try again.

 

 

“Still, it remains a great day. Domenico (Pozzovivo) showed he is fit, he perfectly knew the course and the team set him up perfectly. This gives a big morale and desire to continue.”

 

Mission accomplished for Domenico Pozzovivo on Giro gravel roads
Ag2r sports Didier Jannel added:

 

“We knew that this stage could be complicated for the GC. He could lose a lot of time for the GC on the 6.3km climb so he had to finish as close as possible to the great leaders. Mission accomplished for Domenico. In the technical descent, Pozzo was able to stay in touch and not lose time. Our Giro adventure continues. We have avoided stupid splits and hope to express ourselves in the high mountains.

 

“Regarding today's stage, we knew the break had a chance. A group of thirteen riders went with the boys there. We tried our luck, Matteo was good and did not miss much. He gets a nice recognition. We saw Blel at the front and it's a pleasure for many people. He worked for the team, sacrificing himself for Matteo. We will see him in front at the Giro. "

 

Cannondale not happy with third place for Moreno Moser

Moreno Moser finished third for Cannondale. Sports director Bingen Fernandez said.

 

“Happy? Let’s say when you don’t win and you’re close to the win, it’s not exactly happy. You have the feeling you could have done better. We always go to try to win, and Moreno was good today. He lost at the beginning of the climb, and then he was really strong in the end. He was catching the guys in front of him, and then he attacked. He ran out of road to take Montaguti. If had caught Montaguti, why not work with him? So happy...?"

 

Impressive Jaco Venter surprises on Giro gravel roads

The 8th stage of the Giro d’Italia was an incredible race for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka as South African Champion Jaco Venter finished in a fine 4th place, behind stage winner Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx-Quickstep), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale) was 2nd and Moreno Moser (Cannondale) 3rd.

 

The 186km stage from Foligno to Arezzo didn’t start off in the best way for our African Team as the GC hope Kanstantsin Siutsou crashed inside the first 6km of the stage. Thankfully Siutsou was able to pick himself up and got back to the peloton with the help of his teammates. After 15km of racing, riders started a technical descent while the rain came down. It was here that the break of the day went clear and Venter made the selection with 12 other riders. Venter rode an intelligent race and kept a constantly hard tempo going on the dirt.

 

Behind, the main group also sprung to life as they reached the climb and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was the one to attack and split the race to pieces. Siutsou did his best to follow the favourites but found himself in the 2nd group for the majority of the climb. Up ahead, Brambilla was out of sight and out of mind while Venter went over the top of the climb with 3 of the other early breakaway riders, the rest were all caught and passed by the Valverde group of favourites.

 

Venter was able to hold off the Valverde group on the descent to the finish and crossed the line in a terrific 4th place. Siutsou came home with the 2nd main group and dropped to 17th on the general classification but the top 10 is still only 30 seconds away.

 

Jaco Venter said:

 

“I am super happy about today, it was a hard start. There was storm at the start and I wasn’t planning on going in the break, I was just riding in front to stay safe. I saw some groups going on the downhill and I just followed the wheels and then I was in the group. It was hard because there was a group that contained Nibali just behind us so we had to push for the first hour. We got a gap and worked well, some guys were taking some chances but we rode well.

 

”I knew the climb as we rode it in recon a few weeks ago but I wasn’t expecting to stay away. I wasn’t feeling too good at the start of the climb but as it went on I felt better. Over the top I was in 5th or 6th, with a small group. On the descent I did some crazy Moto GP riding and was able to race for 3rd place from a group, and I ended 2nd from that group and 4th on the stage which I am really happy about.”

 

Alessandro De Marchi: I still have to improve my climbing

Alessandro De Marchi put up a good fight to finish in fifth place on Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia, a stage which saw a change to the General Classification.

 

De Marchi made a breakaway of 13 riders who built a solid lead of five minutes throughout the stage which finished on the dirt roads of the Strade Bianche course.

 

De Marchi tried to stay with Brambilla but couldn’t quite bridge the gap, eventually coming home a minute and a half behind.

 

Alessandro De Marchi said:

 

"The plan was to find a breakaway but the start of the stage was really crazy, and finally when we made the breakaway it was already a bit difficult. You never know what the bunch is going to do when you have a rider like Brambilla in there who isn't far down on GC.

 

”When we arrived at the last climb I was feeling okay but I could see that a couple of the riders were looking really strong. I was prepared for a bit battle and when Montaguti went I sat back and waited a bit. But then I knew that I had to go and had to try, because it is stupid to sit back and wait and not take the opportunity. So I went and I tried to do the best climb that I could. But I was really at the limit so now I know that I am missing a bit in terms of climbing.

 

"But if the plan is to get in the breakaway and you succeed in doing this, then it is already a good sign. Now we have to recover and put an 'x' next to some of the other stages which could be good for us. If you don't try, you won't win."

 

Max Sciandri, Sports Director, added:

 

“The plan today was to get Alessandro in the breakaway because he was really motivated for it and it was a stage that was well suited to him. It was a really tough breakaway to get in to and there were multiple attempts in the first 30km. When you look at the guys who were in it there were a lot of strong riders, including a couple like Brambilla who wasn't too far behind on GC.

 

“Alessandro did a great job throughout the day and looked strong but ultimately he didn't have the legs on the final climb. It was a good test of his form and I think he can definitely try to get in another breakaway during this Giro d'Italia. Tomorrow is another important stage with the time trial, so we are hoping that Stefan Küng can come out and do a good time."

 

Alejandro Valverde defies team orders to gain time on Dumoulin

After a hard blow on Friday with the abandon by Javi Moreno, the Movistar Team losing a key mountain domestique for the Giro after a crash, the telephone squad knew how to bounce back perfectly and shine on stage eight of the Italian grand tour (Foligno – Arezzo, 169km). The squad directed by Garcia Acosta and Jaimerena kept the fore of the race already from the early breakaway, with Rojas, showing in the 2015 Vuelta he's more than talented for the medium mountains, and Sütterlin, supporting his team-mate early on before becoming a point of reference for Valverde in the finale.

 

As the 14-rider leading group held a four-minute gap before the Alpe di Poti ascent, the Blues' leader came up to tear the race apart. Alejandro Valverde launched a series of strong attacks from the foot of the climb, his first acceleration already too much for race leader Tom Dumoulin (TGA) and putting Mikel Landa's (SKY) balance in jeopardy. The telephone squad's labour from that point was perfect, with Amador, Sütterlin and Rojas offering their wheels for Velverde wherever it was needed during the ascent, the subsequent downhill and the last 7k flat before the kick up the finish.

 

Gianluca Brambilla (EQS) stayed away to claim the stage victory and the Maglia Rosa, as Valverde, sixth over the line, climbed into  fourth overall, 36” from the Italian and 13” behind Zakarin (2nd), with Amador in 13th place. The Giro will tackle a trascendental, hilly 40.5km ITT in the Chianti vineyard zone, where he will try to keep progressing and make his pink dream even stronger.

 

Alejandro Valverde said:

 

“Having two team-mates in the breakaway, I thought it was worth to try it from the foot of the climb and going on full steam until the top, so both Rojillas and Jasha could wait for me and help us out as much as possible. And it went well: they did a nice job and the whole squad's performance was phenomenal.

 

“Most GC rivals into the group were doing well, but Dumoulin was struggling, and my intention was to put as much time on him as possible, because he's the strongest of the GC field for the time trial. The rest looked pretty much at the same energy; Fuglsang also suffered a bit... it's pretty equal at the moment.

 

"Even though he had a 'so-so' day, I still think Dumoulin can win the Giro. I didn't expect I could put such a gap into him, but I felt strong and didn't hesitate for a moment to try it. I'm happy with this result.

 

“We did a great job today, we managed to make a big gap. We gave everything on the climb and I think that the team did a fantastic job. Everybody that was there in the group with me felt good so a lot of my rivals were good. We tried to get as much time as possible on Dumoulin because of the time trial tomorrow. [Tom] Dumoulin and [Jakob] Fuglsang got dropped but this Giro d’Italia is long.

 

"I didn't expect Dumoulin to have a bad day like that but when he started to struggle, I didn't doubt about what I needed to do for a single second and I attacked.

 

"I accelerated right from the foot of the climb and the team told me [over the radio] I should hold back and not go for it so soon. But I told them I wasn't going to do that, on terrain like that, the best thing to do is hit it hard and early and that's all there is to it.

 

”We lost an important team-mate in Javi Moreno yesterday, one in great form, but we bounced back well and did a great race. Tomorrow's TT will be really demanding. It's a route that suits me well; it's a technical, demanding one. I hope I can limit my losses and maybe gain some more time. I just hope I can find these good legs again tomorrow.

 

”I don't feel as the number one favourite in this Giro, not at all; many riders will be in the fight, and it will be a hard one.”

 

"Today was a very important stage. It could be a springboard to move up because tomorrow comes another tough stage which is the time trial,” Giovanni Visconti told Spaziociclismo. “Now we get there with high morale because as a team we raced to perfection, we did what we wanted with two riders in the break and protecting Alejandro for the climb.

 

"He was great and wanted to attack from the start and did it. He immediately saw a Dumoulin in difficulty, while Nibali is the one who reacted better. We are happy."

 

"A beautiful psychological blow for Dumoulin but he will definitely be back tomorrow with the time trial and we will see back in the front.”

 

Steven Kruijswijk: Tomorrow is a chance for me to gain more time

Steven Kruijswijk jumped from seventh to third overall in the eighth stage of the Giro d’Italia today to Arezzo. Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s classification leader finished in front of the first group with the biggest favourites. Ahead, Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx - Quick Step) soloed to the stage victory and grabbed the pink jersey.  

 

“The team continued what they were already doing this whole race,” Sports Director Jan Boven said. “Everyone deserves a big compliment. The men were very focussed since the first day. It relaxes Steven. Everything we’re planning is working and Steven is always in the right position.”

 

On Saturday, the team had to position Kruijswijk for the foot of the Alpe di Poti. Its gravel roads to the top left only 20 kilometres to the finish.

 

“Steven was riding aggressively, especially in the beginning of the climb,” Boven continued. “We wanted to watch Nibali and Valverde, and if possible, Steven had to go along with them. We knew that this climb suited Steven and we felt confident about the fact when we did a recon. Only seven riders survived on the steepest part, and those are the main favourites for the general classification.”

 

“I was led out like a sprinter to the foot of the climb,” Kruijswijk added. “Until that moment, I barely had to do anything and that feels great. I want to be at my very best on the long climbs during the final week of this Giro, so it feels great to be able to follow Nibali and Valverde also on a steep and short climb like today’s.”

 

“My third place in the general classification doesn’t give me extra pressure. Last year, I was 85th at this moment and that was a lot more stressful. I’m already in good position and I’m feeling confident. I’m approaching tomorrow’s time trial as a chance to win more time on my competitors, as well.”

 

Kruijswijk reconnoitred the 40.5-kilometre time trial, as well.

 

“We’re excited for it in a good way,” Boven said. “We did a recon, made some notes and images. We have to use them tomorrow. It’s going to be an hour of suffering for Steven.”

 

Mikel Landa: Day by day I am getting better

Mikel Landa produced a solid performance on stage eight of the Giro d'Italia to move up to 10th overall.

 

The Spaniard reacted to a strong attack from Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) 25 kilometres from the finish in Arezzo as an elite group was formed and the peloton blown apart on the gravelled Alpe di Poti climb.

 

Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx - Quick-Step) attacked from the day's breakaway to secure an impressive solo stage victory and take the maglia rosa, after race leader Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) had been dropped on the tough ascent in the Tuscany countryside.

 

Landa and several other GC contenders looked to be in danger when Valverde attacked on the second category climb but an elite group soon formed and Landa was able to bridge across, before covering further attacks from the Movistar man.

 

Up the road Brambilla's advantage always looked like being decisive, particularly once he'd crested the Alpe di Poti, and the Italian held on to win by a minute from second placed Matteo Montaguti (AG2R-La Mondiale) and 1'41" from the Landa group. Dumoulin battled hard to limit his losses but he relinquished his grip on the maglia rosa ahead of the stage nine time trial.

 

Speaking to TeamSky.com back at the team hotel, Landa admitted it hadn't been plain sailing out on the road.

 

He said: "From the beginning of the stage we had some problems. I picked up a puncture and some riders on the GC rode away so we had to catch them."

 

But the Spaniard was pleased with his performance, and believes he's getting back to his best. He added:

 

"Day by day I feel like I'm getting back to my best and we have a lot of the Giro in front of us."

 

Landa believes tomorrow's time trial course is reasonably well suited to him and he has been given an extra boost by Pinarello's new Bolide TT.

 

"Using the new Pinarello Bolide TT will give me some extra motivation and hopefully it will help me. It's not a completely flat course. There's some descending and climbing, a lot of speed changes - that's good for me."

 

Elia Viviani misses time cut in the Giro d'Italia

The only negative for the team was that Elia Viviani unfortunately finished outside the time limit. He lost contact with the peloton in the early stages of the day and, despite refusing to give up, the Italian just missed the cut off point - bringing his Giro to a premature end.

 

Strong Esteban Chaves still in contention at the Giro d’Italia

Esteban Chaves finished ninth for Orica-GreenEDGE on today’s stage eight of the Giro d’Italia after a stunning finale on the ‘white roads’ of Arezzo saw attacks split the race apart with 20kilometres to go.

 

Colombian general classification contender Chaves raced with particular skill and intelligence as he comfortably climbed and descended with the leaders over a technical finish to the stage to maintain his excellent position on the overall classification.

 

Chaves moves up to sixth place on the provisional general classification going into tomorrow’s 40.5kilometre individual time trial in Chianti.

 

Sport director Matt White was very pleased with how the day went for Chaves and the team.

 

“As we expected it was a winning move that came from the breakaway today,” said White. “At one point it looked like maybe the move was going to brought back but in the end no team wanted to fully commit and it was a really exciting finish.

 

”I’ve said it a couple of times over the course of his first week but Esteban (Chaves) is in very good shape and he showed that again today.”

 

“I didn’t expect the climb to be that selective,” explained White. “ It was a small group that attacked on the gravel section and it included most of the race favourites. Esteban climbed and descended superbly with the best of them and I think that will be the group we see contesting the mountain stages next week.

 

”We are up to sixth and that’s a great place to be going into the rest of the race, tomorrow is a technical time trial course and it will be a tough test for the riders.”

 

Ilnur Zakain: I felt quite good

It was another hard day at the Giro d’Italia, a stage that shook a lot the general classification of the race. Stage 8 from Foligno to Arezzo (186 km) provided a new maglia rosa – Italian rider Gianluca Brambilla from Etixx – Quick Step. Brambilla won the stage as well after a successful solo breakaway.

 

Team Katusha’s leader Ilnur Zakarin did a very strong race and finished in the group of GC contenders. Zakarin moved up to 2nd place in overall classification of the Giro.

 

“Yeah, it was a very tough day. We started under the rain, while the pace of the race was really high. There were a lot of attacks, the group split in several parts. But, finally, everything went ok. The team was strong and I had a very good support. On the last climb of the day I felt quite good. I tried to be attentive and concentrated, following the others GC contenders. I did my best and could stay in the main group until the finish. I think the stage went good for me. Tomorrow is a very important stage, which will mean a lot in this Giro. So, I hope to recover from today and to be ready 100% for the time trial,” said Ilnur Zakarin.

 

The stage started very fast and already on the first non-category climb a group of 13 riders broke away together with Katusha’s Alexey Tsatevich. For him it became the first ever breakaway in the Giro d’Italia.

 

Finally the group of favorites finished the stage 1.41 behind the winner, with Ilnur Zakarin taking 10th place. It was enough for Katusha’s rider to move up at 2nd place in overall classification, 23 seconds behind Brambilla.

 

“I think we can be happy with this stage. It went very well for us. Ilnur was calm and concentrated and did this race as he had to do. It was a hard day because of the pace, attacks and the last climb, but we passed it well. We missed the possibility to take the jersey, but, maybe, it is not so bad. Now, Ilnur can get the maximal recovery, to save energy, to sleep well and to prepare for the time trial calmly,” added sports director Dmitry Konyshev.

 

Things going to plan for Rafal Majka at the Giro d’Italia

Rafal Majka showed today that he is a force to be reckoned with at the Giro d’Italia, after a strong performance saw him matching every pedal stroke of his GC rivals as they attempted to create time gaps on the Alpe di Poti gravel climb. His excellent ride earnt him eleventh on the stage, and sees him move into the top ten of the GC, climbing to eighth overall.

 

The pace was exceptionally high from the drop of the flag, as Sport Director, Tristan Hoffman, noted from the finish.

 

“It was full gas to start and there was a little climb that wasn't even mentioned as an official one, but the peloton split. There were 30 or so guys in front, and some GC favourites in the second group, but they pushed hard and came back, and then the break went. We didn't get anyone in the move, but we stayed in the front after and got Rafal into position for the climb.”

 

It was on the final climb of the day that Rafal Majka made his presence known – joining a select group of GC favourites with the Maglia Rosa absent, quickly creating a gap. While his GC rivals in the group repeatedly attacked to try and go clear, the Polish Tinkoff leader managed to match every pedal stroke, so no-one was able to break free.

 

Majka finished the stage just outside the top ten, in eleventh position, after an exceptionally strong ride that saw him jump up to eighth place on GC.

 

Hoffman knew the team was prepared for the race’s challenging final climb and made sure Majka had support if he needed it.

 

“We had a lot of people on the climb with wheels but in the end they weren't needed, and all was OK.”

 

“We have seen a very strong Rafal today - it's very good to see him move into the top ten and racing at the front. When the bigger mountains come it will be even better. He was there with the big guys and looked easy when covering the moves, and now he's eighth on GC so he's moving up and it's going to plan.”

 

Matteo Tosatto echoed his Sport Director’s comments.

 

"It was a tough stage with a high pace right from the start. It rained in the first climb and descent and that made it tricky. We managed to keep Rafal safe and in the front and that was important. I see he's in good shape and is moving in the GC. However, we will take it a day at a time."

 

There was another reason to celebrate today, with a birthday on the team, as Hoffman explained.

 

“It was also a nice day with Matteo's birthday - we had Pawel's birthday in Holland, and our kitchen truck driver's birthday yesterday too so it's nice for the team here. Everyone is in good spirits.”

 

Tosatto was pleased with his birthday performance, having suffered with some illness recently.

 

"Today was, obviously, a very important day for me because I turned 42. I'm not at my optimal form because of the cold I have and my fall. Tomorrow, I will have to be careful and I'm confident I will be able to give my best after the rest day."

 

Tomorrow, riders will contest the first Individual Time Trial since the Giro’s start in the Netherlands. Unlike the flat roads of Apeldoorn, the 40.5km ‘Chianti Classico’ route from Radda to Greve covers an undulating course with fast descents over twisting roads, punctuated by short, sharp climbs. Riders will have no time to rest on the stage, having to give it their all to keep GC rivals in check. Hoffman added:

 

“Tomorrow we have the time trial, we will go and have a look at the parcours in the morning and then see how it goes. Rafal will lose some time to the specialists but he has good legs so I think he can hold his own in the GC.”

 

Vincenzo Nibali: I didn’t think that this stage would be so difficult

"I'm fine,” said Vincenzo Nibali at the finish line. “And I was always in the top group. The condition is growing, and every day I'm getting better, thinking also about the great mountains that we will find in the next two weeks.”

 

"I took the climb at the front thanks to Agnoli, because we realised that Movistar were thinking of doing something. When Valverde's attack came, I got on his wheel and then when I saw the pink jersey had been dropped, I did a few turns on the front.

 

“I wanted to see what the others were doing, but it went so well. Then when Valverde accelerated, Scarponi closed the gap. From that moment we went because we had seen that the pink jersey was dropped. We maintained a high pace and we went to the finish.

 

"I didn't think that the stage would be as difficult as that in the finale, but Movistar interpreted it very well. We were very alert and we collaborated with them. Initially the others in the group didn't want to work, but then Chaves and Kruijswijk came and supported us. Once everybody saw that Dumoulin was losing time, there was a bit more collaboration.

 

"Tomorrow he'll do an excellent time trial, it's very well-suited to his characteristics, so he could come back into the race.

 

"The time trial tomorrow is very challenging and difficult. I've already tried it in March and it is a constant up and down. We will have to fight until the end.”

 

Mechanical costly for Jakub Fuglsang on Giro d’Italia gravel roads

Jakob Fuglsang lost contact due to a mechanical problem.

 

"The climb was getting easier, and when it got harder again, I rode away from the second group, and when I got back again, Valverde attacked. I had spent too much energy to close the gap. It is frustrating that mechanical problems destroy it for me," he told TV2 Sport after the stage.

  

"I will give everything in the TT. Now, I spent a little more energy than I had hoped because I was in no man's land trying to close the gap. I must go full gas tomorrow and see what I get.”

 

"Vincenzo has proven to be in a good condition,” commented sport director Giuseppe Martinelli. “And I'm confident for the time trial. It is a pity that incidents have hindered both Jakob Fuglsang and Tanel Kangert because they would have been with the first group too.”

 

Frustrated Diego Ulissi: It became a race for climbers, not puncheurs

The 8th stage of the Giro d’Italia, 186 km from Foligno to Arezzo, could inspire the appetite of Diego Ulissi thanks to a fairly demanding final part and the rising final straight. Moreover, Lampre-Merida’s rider had won the latest Giro d’Italia stage which started from Foligno.

 

However, the epilogue of the stage did not smile to Ulissi: the top climbers approached the Alpe di Poti) at a very high speed, which forced the blue-fuchsia-green rider to lose contact with the group of the general classification contenders. He set a regular pace which allowed him to reach the summit of the climb with less than 1′ of a gap.

 

On the downhill to Arezzo, the chasing group of Ulissi could not bridge the gap and he completed the stage in 18th position at 51″ from the best climbers

 

“The first part of the climb was very demanding and, moreover, the top climbers approached it at full speed,” Ulissi explained. “Only the climbers were in the main group on the climb, I tried to limit the gap and I did it fairly well, however in the descent we did not reduce the gap as much as I would have liked because the pace of the main group was very high.

 

“It’s a pity that the race unfolded in this way that was more suitable for the pure climbers, because I really liked the final straight which could have been very inspiring for me“.

 

Trek keep maintain confidence in Hesjedal despite another time loss

The steep, white gravel climb at the end of the 186-kilometer stage eight inflicted damage on the overall classification. Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) lost his grip on pink as Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx-Quick Step) soloed to the win and overall lead from a 13-man breakaway that stayed away all race.

 

Behind, the GC favorites exploded on the steep slope of Alpe di Poti and a select group of 12 formed with Ryder Hesjedal following in a small bunch with the rest of the contenders.

 

Hesjedal finished the stage in 29th place, 44 seconds behind the Valverde-led group – numbering 11 at the finish – as he continues his resilient riding towards the biggest mountains where the major time differences will be made.

 

Director Dirk Demol said: "Riccardo (Zoidl) crashed at the beginning so he could not be with Ryder at the end like we had hoped. Okay, Ryder lost a little more time today, and of course we would have preferred he was with the Nibali-Valverde group, but when you don’t have your best day and lose less than a minute to your rivals, that is not so bad. It is still a long way to go, he is still fighting, and the TT tomorrow will make things a little clearer on his condition. But we still believe he is good and for sure we still believe in him."

 

In years past, the third week of the Giro d'Italia is where Hesjedal rises to top form, and the lanky Canadian is pinning his hopes that this year will be the same.  Whatever plays out in the latter half of the race, Hesjedal isn't worried; his que sera sera attitude keeps him relaxed and positive - his goals have not changed.

 

Nizzolo’s lead-out man misses time cut in the Giro d’Italia

The unfortunate news out of the Trek-Segafredo camp after stage eight finished was that Boy Van Poppel, who has been suffering from allergies since the start, was unable to finish within the set time limit and is out of the Giro. The loss of one of the key leadout men for Giacomo Nizzolo will be felt.

 

"I feel badly for Boy because he was fighting hard and the last thing he wanted was to stop today," said Demol. "He was already sick for a few days and suffering from allergies as well. He was one of the first guys dropped when it went uphill, and today he could not manage to come back. He refused to abandon during the stage, but it was clear when the race started so fast from the start that he did not have any chance.  He's really disappointed and sad about going home, but he tried as hard as he could."

 

The Giro continues with a decisive 40.5-kilometer individual time trial tomorrow followed by the second rest day Monday.

 

Sean De Bie on the attack on Giro d’Italia gravel roads

Sean De Bie was part the break

 

He said:

 

“I didn’t have a superb feeling this morning so it wasn’t clear whether I could be part of the break today or not. But once the race started my legs felt better than I thought. During one of the first wet descents, a group of thirteen riders got away.

 

”We didn’t obtain a big gap as the speed was very high in the peloton. After that, the race calmed down so we were able to enlarge our lead, also because Giant-Alpecin didn’t pull at the front of the peloton. I won the first KOM sprint of the day before Berlato, therefore I secured the leader’s jersey of Tim Wellens in the KOM classification.

 

”Everyone in the front group knew that the stage would be decided on the final tough climb, the summit was situated at eighteen kilometres from the finish. Brambilla was clearly the strongest, that wasn’t a surprise. I was dropped rather quickly but nevertheless I had a great time in the break today. All the riders did their part of the job. Maybe there will be other opportunities for me to join a break later in this Giro.”

 

Greipel and Wellens defend jerseys on Giro gravel roads

André Greipel maintains the red points jersey and Tim Wellens may again wear the blue KOM jersey tomorrow.

 

Greipel said:

 

“The beginning of the race was very fast today and it wasn’t a flat stage at all. I saved myself in the main climb although it was tricky to get up. It wasn’t easy to guide the bike on the gravel road. I wasn’t worried about the Maglia Rossa. I knew I was going to keep it anyway”.

 

Wellens said:

 

“I wasn’t feeling super today so I preferred to save energy for some very nice upcoming stages. Without fighting for it, I kept the Maglai Azzurra. I didn't score any points today but my competitors weren’t at the front either”.

 

Disappointed Tom Dumoulin: Now it is back to plan A

Nikias Arndt made the break on a difficult day for Giant-Alpecin which saw Tom Dumoulin lose his lead in the general classification.

 

After a frantic start to the stage eight of the race, Arndt rode hard to force his way into the day’s 13-man move as the peloton headed towards the city of Arezzo.

 

The race hotted up on the tough gravelled Alpe di Poti climb as Dumoulin was in some difficulties following the attacks of his main rivals. On the descent, Dumoulin had the help of Arndt to try and bridge the gap to the main GC group. In the end, he crossed the finish line in 38th place, 2’50” behind the winner Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx Quick-Step).

 

In the overall classification, Dumoulin dropped out of the top 10. He is now 11th heading into Sunday’s time trial.

 

Tom Dumoulin said: “If you look at the situation right now, we are going back to plan A and that was winning the time trials. But right now I am just disappointed and I don’t want to think about it.

 

“Concerning the general classification, maybe tomorrow I am back in pink and we will think differently about the situation. It is difficult to say at this moment. It wasn’t the plan before to go for the general classification and now at least 20 riders were better than me on the climb today. Maybe it makes no senses to go for the overall classification but we will see.

 

“It was just a bad day for me today. I am already having a little saddle sore, since a few days. Yesterday I didn’t feel too good, but it wasn’t really a problem. Today it wasn’t like a big problem, but I just had no energy during this race.

 

“For tomorrow, if I got the same power that I had today, for sure I won’t be winning the time trial. I hope to recover well and I have a good performance.”

 

Tom Stamsnijder added: “It was hard all day because there was a big group that got away and we had to make sure that it was under control. Then you come here where it is very narrow and then right away afterwards you go up on a steep climb. I just came in so I don’t know how he did on the climb but I saw that he lost the pink jersey. Too bad.

 

“He was always keen on winning the time trial. He did it already in the prologue and I hope that he can do it again. It will be a very technical one, especially with the weather forecast. So let’s see what it brings tomorrow. One thing for sure, it is going to be an interesting race.”

 

“We went for it with the team to try to keep the jersey. Everybody did his job in a good way, but in the end, Tom didn’t have the best day,” explained coach Marc Reef.