The day after a day in the high mountains – which saw victory at the end of a long breakaway David Bais (EOLO-Kometa) – and on the eve of the longest time trial of this Girothe 8th step of the Tour of Italy had everything to smile at the adventurers. And it’s Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) which won. Starting in the morning breakaway, the Irishman performed a real number, going out alone 45km from the finish before resisting the return of all his competitors. Among the favourites, we finally had some action, since Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), followed by Geraint Thomas And Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers), managed to outrun the other leaders, including Remco Evenepoel(Soudal Quick-Step) and took 14 seconds from them. Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) keeps his pink leader’s jersey for 8 small seconds.
Ben Healy wins this 8th stage, Evenepoel cracked
Ganna and Van den Berg non-starters, 13 men up front
While Lars van den Berg (Groupama-FDJ) and Filippo Gana (INEOS Grenadiers) had to give up taking the start, the battle to take the breakaway was, as expected, hotly contested. After an explosive start which caused breaks in the peloton, it was necessary to wait more than 70 kilometers of racing to finally see the good offensive take hold.
First five in the lead with Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), Well Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), valentine Paret-Painter (AG2R Citroën Team), Tom’s Skujins (Trek-Segafredo) and carlos Verona (Movistar Team), this group receives the reinforcement of six riders with Mattia Kiss (EOLO-Kometa), Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Francis Bidard (Cofidis), Alessandro Iacchi (Team Corratec – Selle Italia), Alessandro tonelli (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) and Filippo Zana (Team Jayco AlUla). At the cost of a great individual effort, Warren Barguil (Team Arkéa-Samsic) then Oscar Riesebeek (Alpecin-Deceuninck) also manage to make the junction a little later. We therefore find 13 men up front ready to play for the stage victory and with a lead of more than 4 minutes at 100 terminals from the goal on a peloton led by the DSM-Team pink jersey.
Ben Healy goes solo, INEOS Grenadiers skims the peloton
Three new retirements were recorded following this rapid start: David Dekker (Team Arkéa-Samsic), Florian Stork (Team DSM) and Samuele Zoccarato (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) must put the arrow. There DSM continues to manage the gap with the fugitives around 5 minutes, Warren Barguil being top ranked up front, at 6’39” behindAndreas Leknessund. We then approach a long descending portion which leads the runners towards the last 50 very hilly kilometers of the final. The situation does not change until the foot of the first difficulty of the day, I Cappuccini (2.8 km at 7.8%).
As you would expect from the Irishman, Ben Healy is the first to attack in front. Nobody manages to keep pace with the spring revelation, which passes to the top with a ten-second lead over a duo made up of Zana And Skujins. The latter are finally taken up by the rest of the breakaway on the descent. At the first passage on the line (43 kms remaining), Healy already has more than half a minute ahead of its rivals and seems well on its way to a solo number! Behind, INEOS Grenadiers decides to take its responsibilities and prints a big tempo through the intermediary of Pavel Sivakov. The peloton, reduced to about fifty units, passes 5 minutes late.
The Healy show, no attack among the favorites
Always in his powerful style so particular, Ben Healy crushes the pedals and digs in on his pursuers, while we continue directly with the main difficulty of the day, the Monte delle Cesane (7.8 km at 6.5%). The second of theAmstel Gold Race takes off with already more than a minute of margin on its former escape companions, who are only 5 with Barguil, Kiss, Gee, Verona And Zana. Within the peloton, it is now the Jumbo Visma who rolls in the lead in front of five INEOSalways at a high pace. Leknessund no longer has a teammate but resists. Many runners give way at the back, but no major attack to report.
Healy continues his solo show and holds a 1’40” lead with 25 km to go. Nothing seems to be able to deprive the Irishman of his first success on a Grand Tour. While the Jumbo Visma continues to impose a big rhythm in this transition part, which takes the riders up to the last climb of I Cappuccini (2.8 km at 7.8%).
Roglic cracks Evenepoel
Approaching this ultimate difficulty, Healy has more than 2 minutes ahead of his pursuers, while in the peloton, it rubs, everyone wants to start this climb in the first positions. From the foot of I Cappuccini, the BORA-hansgrohe do the forcing. And Primoz Roglic goes on the offensive, it is only followed by the pink jersey and Lennard Kamnawhile Remco Evenepoel has trouble following. The Slovenian made a big impression and gradually managed to outrun everyone. Behind him, Tao Geoghegan Hart And Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) are trying to come back to him, Evenepoel, he is released. Both INEOS Grenadiers come back on Roglic at the top, but do not collaborate with him. A few seconds behind, we find Remco Evenepoel, Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious).
In the front, Ben Healy will prevail! Almost two minutes behind, Derek Gee, Filippo Zana And Warren Barguil complete the top 4. In the last kilometer, Thomas And Geoghegan Hart come (finally) to help Roglicwhich allows them to regain 14 seconds on the 2nd group of favorites, where is notably Remco Evenepoel. Andreas Leknessund meanwhile finished 20 seconds behind the Belgian, so he kept his pink leader’s jersey. French side, Thibaut Pinot lost quite a bit of time, crossing the finish line 1’02” behind the group Roglic.