Jumbo-Visma see plan play out to perfection on stage 8 at the Giro d'Italia: "This was the first chance. We took that on"

For the first time at the 2023 Giro d'Italia, stage 8 saw the main favourites start the battle for overall victory and the Maglia Rosa. For Jumbo-Visma, it was a plan played out to perfection.

"We had the plan to see how the ratios are, but also to take time on the rest of the competition," said Jumbo-Visma's sports director Marc Reef following the conclusion to a dramatic day of racing. “We made the course hard on the lap. In the end, the goal was to drop Primoz as best as possible at the foot of the last climb and that he would try there.”

Primoz Roglic's attack on the final climb saw Remco Evenepoel put into difficulty for the first time in this year's edition of the race. After looking imperious to date, the cracks shown by the Belgian will give plenty of encouragement to the riders in yellow and black.

"That's right. I don't think the circumstances were right then to try it earlier. Yesterday there was a headwind on the climb. At Lago Laceno, the course was also quite closed by INEOS, which took control of the course. This was the first chance. We took that on," says Reef. “I think this gives confidence at all for what's to come. Tomorrow is a time trial. We're going to do our best for that, we're going to do our best possible performance for that. We mainly look at ourselves. This week has been very hectic. We have had very bad weather, which will certainly play its role. We look forward with confidence to tomorrow, but also to the two weeks that will follow.”