The Giro d’Italia general classification standings shuffled again on stage eight as Primoz Roglic conceded the leader’s pink jersey to Italian veteran Diego Ulissi.
Ulissi was part of a nearly 20-strong breakaway group that escaped on a frantic, relentless hilly stage in the Apennines, won by Jayco AlUla’s Luke Plapp.
Ulissi took third on the stage but the bonus seconds, and a nearly four-minute lead on the peloton, were enough to see him pull on pink and end a four-year drought for a home wearer of the iconic jersey.
The race remains a battle between Roglic and his major rival Juan Ayuso, who won stage seven, and the Spaniard nicked another second battle from the 2023 champion with a late sprint to the line in Castelraimondo.
Stage eight results
1) Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), in 4:44:20
2) Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike), +38”
3) Diego Ulissi (XDS-Astana), +38”
4) Igor Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), +1’22”
5) Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), +1’35”
6) Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), +1’48”
7) Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana), +1’48”
8) Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost), +2’59”
9) Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL), +3’02”
10) Alessio Martinelli (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizane), +4’37”
General classification
1) Diego Ulissi (XDS-Astana), in 29:21:23
2) Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana), +12”
3) Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), +17”
4) Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +20”
5) Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +26”
6) Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) +44”
7) Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL)+47”
8) Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) +50”
9) Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +51”
10) Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) +56”
Points classification
1) Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 153pts
2) Alessandro Tonelli (Polti VisitMalta) 59
3) Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) 55
4) Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL) 50
5) Orluis Aular (Movistar) 42
King of the mountains (KOM) classification
1) Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana) 98pts
2) Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 50
3) Paul Double (Jayco AlUla) 36
4) Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizane), 32
5) Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 24
Young riders’ classification
1) Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in 29:21:43
2) Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +6”
4) Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL)+26”
5) Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +40”
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