Giro d'Italia 2026 stage 8 preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - 22% climb to put Vingegaard, Eulálio and the rest to the test

The 2026 Giro d'Italia will take place from the 8th to the 31st of May. It is the first Grand Tour of the season, and there are 21 stages that will take the riders through many of Italy's iconic cities, the mythical Alps, and many treacherous stages - each one can end the climber's chances of winning. We preview stage 8, which is expected to start and finish at 13:35 and 17:00CET.

A typical explosive Giro stage, it is one that many have to pay attention to. After the riders leave the mountains of central Italy behind, they enter the coast of Abbruzo and Marche where the climbs into the small towns are usually treacherous and quite explosive.

Experience is key at the Giro, every region has its own particular challenges, and suit different types of riders. At Tirreno-Adriatico, we have gotten used to seeing the hilly stages create meaningful differences. The Giro organizers have attempted to bring that dynamic into the three-week race as one of the final stages in the first week.

The riders begin in Chieti, with a slight uphill start suited to rouleurs; but the truth is the riders have 95 kilometers that are almost fully pan-flat through the coast. But as soon as the riders pass the intermediate sprint and head inland, a new stage begins.

Two categorized climbs will open things up; whilst with 24 kilometers to go the peloton faces a Red Bull Kilometer on an 11% uphill climb - the Muro del Ferro in Fermo. The riders leave the town back down to the sea, and will then come up once again.

They will ascend to Capodarco first, 2.5 kilometers at 6% which ends with a mere 7 kilometers to go. But this climb won't be used for attacks, instead, the GC favourites and stage contenders will try to stay in the front of the peloton, in order to get to the descent well positioned and, respectively, the same towards the final climb.

For avid watchers of Tirreno-Adriatico, this finale won't be a surprise. It has to be well studied beforehand. Fermo has hosted finales in 2017 and 2022, with Peter Sagan and Warren Barguil (the latter from a breakaway) winning stages in an explosive finale. The climb begins with a 800 meters at almost 14% which max out at a whole 22%. A gruesome ramp where attacks are possible, but above all the riders will attempt not to go beyond their limits.

The road flattens out, and then the final 1.2 kilometers average 8%, with several right-hand corners that allow riders ahead to briefly go out of sight - and a corner very close to the finish. It's one where the pure puncheurs can thrive, but the strongest riders will mostly be the GC men.

As a whole, the climb is 3.7 kilometers long at 5.7%, and culminate an explosive stage.

GC fight - Some northwestern wind to be felt on the day, and there will be risk of rain once again. Rain showers, it won't be a pleasant day, but it's not an assured deluge. Afonso Eulálio remains in the race lead for the time being and he will remain there; but the big question of the day is what will happen with Jonas Vingegaard and the other main GC riders.

We've got an ultra-steep ramp. The main focus for most teams will be to position their leaders as best as possible for that moment. The climbs beforehand are not overly hard, and so the teams will be able to maintain good numbers. It will make it dangerous, and we will have an all-out leadout into the final ascent. Then we might have attacks for sure, mostly in that final kilometer as the riders will very much be at their limit once they get through the toughest ramps.

Jonas Vingegaard may attack, if the space is there, there is no reason not to try and take more time on his rivals - specially as the gap to Eulálio is big and he can remain away from the extensive podium ceremonies. If he does, for the rest of the field it is like today, to chase the best result possible. If not, then we might see some tactical attacks in that finale.

Vingegaard won't let Giulio Pellizzari and Felix Gall go, they will be his two main rivals it seems. But if he has the legs, he may cover others too. Giulio Ciccone can realistically win this stage from a small GC group; whilst the likes of Jai Hindley, Michael Storer, Derek Gee, Ben O'Connor, Thymen Arensman and Mathys Rondel will also be there.

Breakaway - Now, there are a few riders who can win from a peloton scenario. The climbers will be the majority, but if you put in a Jan Christen, Jhonatan Narváez, Lennert van Eetvelt or Christian Scaroni on a good day, they are riders to sprint to victory on a day like this.

The start of the stage is mostly flat, not ideal for a breakaway; and we know that there will be moments of high tension - and as a result, speed - in the peloton. So the chances are not too good.

But aside from those three we can have other candidates such as Edward Planckaert, Michael Valgren, Lorenzo Milesi, Javier Romo, Ben Turner, Alessandro pinarello, Filippo Zana, Andrea Raccagni, Gianmarco Garofoli, Igor Arrieta, António Morgado, Alberto Bettiol and Guillermo Thomas Silva.

The finale is not overly hard. Whilst climbing ability is necessary, if a breakaway does succeed we might have a 'fuga de la fuga' succeed. By that I mean an early attack from the breakaway escapees themselves, instead of those who are the strongest on the climb.

*** Jonas Vingegaard, Giulio Ciccone, Jan Christen

** Lennert van Eetvelt, Christian Scaroni, Giulio Pellizzari

* Felix Gall, Jai Hindley, Ben O'Connor, Jhonatan Narváez, Michael Valgren, Ben Turner, Lorenzo Milesi, Filippo Zana, Andrea Raccagni, Alberto Bettiol, Guillermo Thomas Silva

Pick: Giulio Ciccone

How: Small GC group sprint win.