Giro d’Italia Stage 8 Recap
On Saturday, Luke Plapp from Team Jacoalla made headlines by winning Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia. In a remarkable solo effort over a 197 km route from Giulianova to Castel Raimondo, Diego Ulissi became the first Italian to claim the prestigious pink jersey.
After a substantial breakaway of nearly 20 riders stretched over 100 km, Plapp made his move during the Monterago climb. His decisive action allowed him to glide ahead, securing his initial Grand Tour stage victory by a significant margin.
Though he couldn’t see the competitors behind him, the 24-year-old glanced back to make sure he was clear as he entered the final stretch. “It’s pretty crazy, I still can’t believe it. I feel like it’s been a long time coming,” Plapp shared. “Last year, I was so close to the Giro several times, so what happened today feels really special.”
Coming in third was Wilco Kelderman from Visma-Lease, while Ulissi from XDS-Astana finished about 38 seconds back. The crowd erupted in cheers when it was announced that Ulissi would take over the Maglia Rosa from Primož Roglič.
This marks Ulissi as the first Italian to wear the pink jersey since Alessandro de Marchi in 2021, breaking an 86-year gap. He leads his teammate Lorenzo Fornato by 12 seconds, with Roglič trailing 17 seconds behind.
“I’m not one to get emotional easily, but seeing XDS Astana engraved with Maglia Rosa brought tears to my eyes,” Ulissi admitted. “I’m turning 36 soon, and achieving eight stage victories at the Giro brings me immense satisfaction. I thought about my family, especially those who supported me since childhood, when I first saw the jersey.”
Plapp made his move at the 45 km mark, pushing hard to leave the pack behind, and continued to extend his lead on the Monterago ascent. He scored crucial points for the Blue Jersey competition, maintaining a one-minute advantage over the chasers while the Peloton lagged six minutes behind at the 20 km mark.
After conquering the Gaglior climb, Plapp showed no signs of letting up, staying over five minutes ahead of the Peloton on the descent. “I knew I couldn’t out-sprint them, so I had to make my move early. Long breaks like this have worked well for me in this race,” he explained.
“The first to go always has an advantage. I just thought I’d take a chance, and honestly, I was also hoping for a little boost as I began the descent.”
In other standings, young Briton Maxpool drops to sixth overall, trailing by 47 seconds, while Simon Yates is in tenth, 56 seconds off the pace.
