“This was a real Giro stage” – Team Jayco AlUla react to superb Luke Plapp victory

Luke Plapp has claimed a sensational victory on Stage 8 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia, delivering Team Jayco AlUla a standout performance on what turned into one of the most grueling and unpredictable stages of the race so far.

Plapp was part of a fierce battle for the breakaway, one that took an extraordinary 85 kilometres to form. The high pace and relentless attacking saw only the strongest riders reach the front,Plapp among them.

Speaking to Eurosport after the finish, teammate Pieter Weening described just how intense the early racing was.

“It was a very fast start,” Weening began. “The place where the leading group formed was also quite difficult, so we knew that they were all strong men at the front. The seven riders who eventually came to the front were all riders with great qualities.”

Despite the deep talent in the breakaway, it soon became clear that Plapp had something special in his legs.

“But we knew Luke was strong too. Because when I told him not to waste too much energy, he said: ‘Man, I’m pedalling like crazy.’ From that moment on, we knew he was good.”

When Wilco Kelderman and Diego Ulissi made an early move on the final third-category climb, Team Jayco AlUla made a bold call, turn Plapp loose and let him go all in to the summit.

“At the foot of that third-category climb, Kelderman and Ulissi attacked early. We told Luke to do a time trial to the top. We’d see what would happen. At the top, he was already fifteen, twenty seconds ahead. And he kept it going until the finish. It was a very strong performance.”

Weening explained that once Plapp had made the decisive move, the strategy shifted to preservation and precision.

“We encouraged him to go all out uphill, because he could always recover a little on the descents,” Weening added. “We took it easy for the last five or six kilometres. No more risks. We wanted to play it safe and secure the victory.”

By the finish line, Plapp had not only held off the chase, he had stamped his authority on the stage. For Weening, it was a brilliant reward for a day of grit and chaos.

“It’s great,” said the Dutchman. “It was a super tough day. I think we only got away after 85 kilometers. Everyone was completely exhausted when we were finally in the leading group. Luke immediately said that he was very good and I was definitely not good anymore. So it’s great that he wins here.”

Stage 8 was always going to be one for the breakaway, and it seems the peloton knew it. With Mads Pedersen having dominated the first week and the breakaway denied on each of the first seven stages, almost the entire bunch came out fighting.

“This was a real Giro stage,” Weening said. “It can take a long time before the breakaway gets away. Although 85 kilometers is very extreme. Everyone just knew: we’ve had seven stages where the breakaway didn’t have a chance and today is a very good chance. So I think that at least twenty teams on the bus said that today was the day. You could see that.”