PREVIEW | Giro d'Italia 2023 stage 8 - 19% climb another opportunity breakaway spectacle

Preview. Stage 8 of the Giro d'Italia is a very dangerous one. Whether the overall classification will be played or not comes down to the riders, but the combination of very steep ascents makes it possible to blow up the race.

The eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia should be a hilly and explosive one into Fossombrone. The double ascent of Il Capuccini a climb of around 2 kilometers at 10%, will be the main feature of the day, which could see the GC fight implode once again. This finale was seen in the 4th stage of the 2019 Tirreno-Adriatico where Alexey Lutsenko took the win. This could easily become a day for the GC riders, despite it's proximity to a decisive day.

Estimated start and finish times for Giro d'Italia stage 8: 11:50-17:15CET

Early in the day the riders find a 4.9-kilometer climb at 5.8% which should be a launchpad for a breakaway to be formed. This could be crucial in the outcome of the day. Many of the kilometers that follow are flat and will be rather calm. That will change however in the run-up to I Cappuccini. The first time up the climbs ends with 50 kilometers to go, but the focus lies afterwards, with a technical descent and a steep ramps once again right after.

Monte delle Cesane is 7.8 kilometers at 6.5%, but the first 2 are at over 10%. Another explosive climb. It soothens out towards the finish but is nevertheless a difficult one, ending with 37 kilometers to go. The descent will be nervous afterwards, and right after another steep ramp at Montefelcino, which is 800 meters at 11% summiting with 20 kilometers to go.

If everything goes normal however the race is to be decided on the final ascent. The riders go into I Cappuccini once again but this time around everyone will likely go to the very maximum. The summit comes only with just over 5 kilometers to go, the ascent is 2.8 kilometers at 7.8% but that is because of a gentle start which is considered part of the climb. In fact it's around 1.5Km at well over 10%, with the steepest ramps reaching 19% close to the summit. A brutal one.

It's a small descent but a technical one. The riders will reach the finish very quickly, a few sketchy corners will require the riders to control the adrenaline, and the final two kilometers then are flat.

The Weather

There will be rain and it will be strong. Tension will be very high towards all descents, but it reinforces the idea that the GC riders will just look to get through the day unscathed. There will also be a breeze from the east, but the race will be within valleys all day long essentially.

GC fight

In a one-week race I would expect a day like this to break the race apart. It has everything, steep climbs, technical descents, rain. But it doesn't have a hungry GC race. After 7 stages the GC riders have shown no will whatsoever to attack and there haven't even been secondary battles for Top10 places or so. This is a very explosive day but in all honesty I believes all GC riders - who don't crash - will arrive together.

On the eve of the time-trial, I reckon most will try to keep it safe only. Many are clearly waiting for stage 13 to go all-out and whilst they don't get there it's a matter of limiting losses as much as possible in the time-trials.

Breakaway

This seems to be the most likely scenario. There seems to be little intention from the GC riders to move the race for now, if it hasn't happened in a high-mountain summit finish it's unlikely to take place here. The uphill start will allow a strong group to go up the road and DSM will only control the pace if someone closeby is close in the GC, but even if they keep a constant pace throughout the day in the final kilometers it's impossible to organize a chase, and the peloton will take the descents very slowly.

All the favourites will be here. The list is not big because the GC fight is yet to open however a few riders have the clear goal. Samuele Battistella, Patrick Konrad, Ben Healy, Alberto Bettiol, Lorenzo Rota, Simon Clarke, Alessandro De Marchi and Carlos Verona are all riders suited for such a finale.

Two teams will likely dedicate a few riders to the break to try and take a win: Trek - Segafredo has Bauke Mollema and Toms Skujins who can fight for the win, UAE have Brandon McNulty, Alessandro Covi, Davide Formolo and Diego Ulissi.

Prediction Giro d'Italia 2023 stage 8:

*** Brandon McNulty, Ben Healy
** Patrick Konrad, Samuele Battistella, Alessandro De Marchi
* Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic, Simon Clarke, Carlos Verona, Bauke Mollema, Toms Skujins, Davide Formolo, Alessandro Covi, Diego Ulissi

Pick: Ben Healy