Giro d'Italia stage 8 preview - Short, steep climbs set up dangerous day to Fermo

The riders face 155.92 kilometres from Chieti to Fermo, with a finale packed with short climbs, steep walls and technical roads. For the less explosive GC riders, this is a stage that demands attention. Coming less than 24 hours after the 245 kilometre Blockhaus stage, fatigue could turn a tricky finale into a damaging one.

Key information:

• Start: 13:35 (CET)
• Estimated Finish: 17:15 (CET)
• Stage type: mountain
• Stage length: 155.92km
• Elevation gain: 1760m

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The stage begins gently enough. The opening 100 kilometres are mostly flat, with only rolling terrain to disturb the rhythm. That should allow the race to settle, but it also means the decisive part of the day is heavily concentrated in the final 50 kilometres.

The finale begins with the third category climb of Montefiore d’Aso, 8.2 kilometres at 4%. After a short descent, the riders take on Monterubbiano, a fourth category climb of 4.7 kilometres at 5.7%. Another descent follows before a further 3.3 kilometre climb at 4.9%.

From there, the stage starts to look like one for the puncheurs. The first real wall is only 300 metres long, but it averages 13.5%. With around 13 kilometres of descending and flatter roads after the top, it may not decide the stage on its own, but it will start to put real damage into the legs.

Capodarco comes next: 3.6 kilometres at 5.9%, with a 500 metre section at around 10% near the end. It is not the hardest climb of the day, but at this point in the stage, after repeated accelerations, it will hurt.

The most severe ramp comes inside the final four kilometres: 700 metres at 14.4%, with pitches above 20%. It is the kind of climb where positioning, explosiveness and fatigue all collide. The riders will not get much relief over the top either, as the road continues onto a kilometre of false flat before the final climb towards Fermo.

On Street View, this climb still has a very bad road surface, but the road has since been improved specifically for the Giro d’Italia.

That last rise is 1.5 kilometres at 5.9%. It has a steep section in the middle, eases slightly, and then kicks again towards the line. This is not a stage to underestimate. The gaps may not be huge, but the damage could be.

However, the last 1.5km also provides an extra challenge; cobbles, from 1.3km to 0.3km to go. With the chance of rain in mind, this could mean carnage.

A closer look at the final 3.7 kilometres gives a better sense of what awaits the riders. The section marked with the arrow indicates the cobbled road.

Key points

• Intermediate sprint - 56km to go
• Montefiore d'Aso | 3rd category climb - 8.2km at 4% - 49km to go
• Monterubbiano | 4th category climb - 4.7km at 5.7% - 37km to go
• Red Bull KM (bonus sprint) - 24.5km to go (top of first Muro)
• Capodarco | 4th category climb - 3.6km at 5.9% - 7.5km to go
• Second (and last) Muro - 3.6km to go

As with the Blockhaus stage, the opening half of the route is not ideal for forming a breakaway packed with strong climbers and puncheurs. That kind of group will probably be needed for the break to survive, but the first part of the stage may make it difficult for the right move to go clear.

The bigger question is control. The GC teams will have spent heavily on Blockhaus, and few will be eager to chase all day. If they do, they may simply set the stage up for Jonas Vingegaard, who has the punch to finish this kind of effort off himself.

Stage hunting teams may also hesitate for the same reason. A hard chase could bring everything back together, only for the strongest GC rider to take the win anyway.

That should create opportunities. Several strong riders have already lost time in the general classification, and many of them will see this as a major breakaway chance. Even if the stage win goes up the road, the final climbs are hard enough to trigger a GC battle behind.

The riders may face a headwind from Chieti to Fermo, although forecasts are not fully aligned. Its impact should be limited.

The bigger concern is rain. With a technical finale in and around Fermo, wet roads would make the stage significantly more dangerous. After the chaos already seen in this Giro, that is something the peloton will be watching closely.

UAE Team Emirates XRG have a new role in this Giro: stage hunting.

With Jan Christen, they have one of the best profiles for this kind of stage. The Swiss rider looks in excellent condition despite breaking his collarbone at Milan Sanremo, and the short, sharp climbs in the finale should suit him well.

Jhonatan Narváez is another major option. He already showed that he had recovered strongly from his crash at the Tour Down Under by winning stage 4, and this finale should appeal to his explosive qualities.

There should also be room for António Morgado to make an impact in his first Grand Tour, while Igor Arrieta has shown outstanding form. The question with Arrieta is whether this finale is a little too punchy for him, especially if the stage is decided from the GC group. Given his current position overall, it is also far from certain that he will be allowed into the breakaway.

Movistar will hope to see Javier Romo in the move. He has been showing more and more, but still feels like a rider with significant untapped potential. A first Grand Tour stage win would be a major step forward.

Andreas Leknessund of Uno-X Mobility looks to have exceptional legs this season. He is not usually seen as one of the most explosive riders, but stage 2 suggested he has more punch than expected. He is also not afraid to commit to a long range move.

XDS Astana have enjoyed a spectacular Giro so far, with stage wins and time in the Maglia Rosa. Thomas Guillermo Silva lost the jersey quickly after the rest day, but he has still shown excellent legs. Whether his setback came from stress, recovery issues or simply a bad day after the rest day is difficult to know, but this stage suits him well.

With Christian Scaroni, Astana have another strong card to play. He was already in the break with Silva on stage 5, though he looked completely frozen at the finish. If he has recovered properly, he should be a serious contender again.

Giulio Ciccone said he was not going for the general classification, but as mentioned earlier in these previews, he is clearly still involved in that battle. Even so, he is such a classy rider that he could win this stage from the GC group. He will also have extra motivation, with the stage starting in Chieti, his birthplace.

Jonas Vingegaard will obviously not be going in the breakaway, but a GC scenario cannot be ruled out. If the favourites reach the final climbs together, the Dane has the acceleration and repeated climbing power to be dangerous. Even on a stage built for puncheurs, he cannot be ignored.

For Alessandro Pinarello of NSN, this looks like a perfect opportunity. He has wisely avoided committing fully to the general classification, giving him the freedom to target stages. This one suits him extremely well.

Lennert Van Eetvelt tried to go for the GC, but an effort like Blockhaus still appears to be a little too much for him at this stage of his career. On this type of stage, however, he should be able to do much more, as he showed on stage 2.

Other riders to watch include Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious), Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost), Gianmarco Garofoli (Soudal Quick-Step) and Magnus Sheffield (Netcompany Ineos).

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Christen

⭐⭐⭐⭐  Romo, Leknessund

⭐⭐⭐  Silva, Narvaez, Ciccone

⭐⭐  Vingegaard, Pinarello, Scaroni, Van Eetvelt

⭐  Zambanini, Valgren, Garofoli, Sheffield, Pellizzari