Giro d’Italia 2024 Stage Report: It looked like Valentin Paret Peintre (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) was going to pull off a surprise stage win, but only 4,2 kilometres from the finish, the UAE Team Emirates pulled him in. Rafal Majka towed his pink leader, Tadej Pogačar, into the final 2 kilometres and then the attacks started from the group of favourites. The Slovenian covered all the moves before Majka lead him out for his third stage victory.
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Stage 8 final kilometre
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Stage win No.3 for Tadej Pogačar
Tadej Pogačar has taken his third stage victory of the 2024 Giro d’Italia. The Slovenian sprinted to victory at the summit of the Prati di Tivo, the last climb of stage 8, and made it look very easy. Obviously he still hold the overall lead.
This is a short stage with no flat drags. Right after the start, the route goes over the Forca di Cerro and Forca Capistrello (over 16km), passes near the Terminillo massif and reaches Capitignano, rising and falling continuously, and then ascends along the western side of the Passo Capannelle. The climb ends a short distance from the pass, in Croce Abbio, and a lengthy descent of nearly 30km will lead to the foot of the closing climb. The roads are ever bending, with two well lit tunnels along the route. The last 14 km rise steadily towards the ski resort. The closing climb (14.5km) has a 7% average gradient (with peaks topping out at 12%) and 22 hairpin bends. The slopes are sharper in the first part, touching the steepest gradients in Pietracamela, where the intermediate sprint is set. The final three kilometres have a steady 7% pitch. The home straight (approx. 300m) is on 6m wide tarmac.
Pink mitts, pink computer, pink handlebar tape, pink….
It was action from the start of stage 8. Most of the peloton wanted to be in the ‘break of the day’ so there weremany attacks on the first uncategorised climb of the day. Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) and Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) managed to get away, but at the start of the Forca Capistrello (16.3km at 5.6%), the first categorised climb, the race was all together.
Pink shorts today for Pogačar
Climbs from the start in Spoleto
A short but hard day ahead
The action was soon to start
At least the weather was nice
UAE Team Emirates planned on making the stage hard
Pogačar had no problems covering the attacks in the finale
Pogačar: ‘Come on then!’
Tadej Pogačar – Making domination look easy
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Giro d’Italia Stage 8 Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 4:02:16
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe
3. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
4. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:02
5. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
6. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar
7. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike
8. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:11
9. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 0:13
10. Alex Baudin Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 0:21.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 8:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 28:14:42
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe at 2:40
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:58
4. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 3:39
5. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike at 4:02
6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 4:23
7. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 5:15
8. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar at 5:28
9. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 5:30
10. Jan Hirt (CZ) Soudal Quick-Step at 5:53.