Giro d’Italia stage 8 Live – A summit battle for the maglia rosa

70km to go

UAE Team Emirates still have Mikkel Bjerg and Vegard Stake Laengen working on the front. Bjerg did well to get back in after being distanced. 

Martin Marcellusi (VBF) took the intermediate sprint. There has been no confirmation on the points as of yet. 

Rear puncture

Simon Geschke (COF)

That isn’t great timing for the German as he drops out of the break on the descent. 

80km to go

Alaphilippe (SOQ) currently leading down the descent as the gap has stretched to +1’51” again. It seems UAE Team Emirates are working towards a stage win. 

The break are not working well together at all. So many trying to sit on and save the legs. 

Puncture

Alexey Lutsenko (AST)

Mechanical

Andrea Bagioli (LTK)

The chasing group make it back to the leaders and the break is now made up of 14 riders with +1’54” back to the UAE Team Emirates led peloton. 

It has been a rapid first hour and a half.

100km to go

Eight riders lead the way just +22″ ahead of the six chasers. Back to the peloton, the gap is now +2’03”.

110km to go

The peloton looks to have eased off it’s chase now and the gap is starting to stretch a bit. 

KoM

1. Simon Geschke (GER) Cofidis 18pts
2. Georg Steinhauser (GER) EF Education-EasyPost 8pts
3. Romain Bardet (FRA) DSM-Firmenich-PostNL 6pts
4. Valentin Paret-Peintre (FRA) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale 4pts
5. Alessandro Verre (ITA) Arkea-B&B Hotels 2pts
6. Magnus Sheffield (USA) Ineos Grenadiers 1pt

Valentin Paret-Peintre (DAT) pings across to the leaders very nicely. He looks very goo today. 

Behind, Sheffield (IGD) and Verre (ARK) now push on to try and join the now four leaders. The peloton are not far off either. I’m questioning the time gaps. 

Attack in chase group

Valentin Paret-Peintre (DAT)

He is trying to bridge to the trio up front but he has +39″ to bring back. 

Mechanical

Giulio Pellizzari (VBF)

The talented young Italian rider snapped his chain!

The gap from the leaders back to the peloton has now gone over a minute for the first time. Four riders now with Pogačar (UAD) at the front…