Stage 8

The road

At the start

Pantani's climb, and the real test

The first mountain day, and it is no prelude: Monte Carpegna from one flank and then the other, the Cippo first — six kilometres averaging near ten per cent, the climb Marco Pantani trained on — then a summit finish at Montecopiolo whose closing ramps touch thirteen. Michael Matthews has worn pink for six days with Cadel Evans 21 seconds back. This is the afternoon that says who came to win the Giro.

How it was won

1. 138 km to go

   Arredondo jumps on the Cippo

   With 37.6km to go, on slopes averaging near ten per cent, Julián Arredondo accelerates away from Pirazzi and Quéméneur and rides clear alone.

2. 236 km to go

   The Cippo shreds the maglia rosa

   Six kilometres at 9.9 per cent, ramping to 14, and Pantani's training climb does what it always does. Movistar and BMC drive it for Quintana and Evans, the field comes apart in pieces — and Michael Matthews slides off the back with a rueful grin, the pink jersey gone for good.

3. 328 km to go

   Rolland attacks the descent

   Pierre Rolland flings himself off the front on the technical plunge off the Carpegna, twenty seconds clear in a blink and hunting the Colombian ahead.

4. 49 km to go

   Arredondo takes the mountains jersey

   Alone over the Villaggio del Lago, Arredondo banks the points that will make him the Giro's climber and starts the last ten kilometres with a minute on Rolland.

5. 5At the line

   Ulissi swallows the leader in sight of the line

   The gradients on Montecopiolo swing between 11 and 13 per cent and refuse to let anyone settle. The favourites' group reels in the lone leader within sight of the banner and Diego Ulissi wins again, from Kiserlovski and Kelderman.

The result