Stage 8

The road

At the start

Fossombrone, and Cappuccini twice

Three days without a change on general classification — Leknessund by 28 seconds from Evenepoel, Roglič fifth at 1:12 — and this morning Filippo Ganna does not start, out with COVID on the eve of the time trial. Today is 207 kilometres through Umbria into the Marche and a finishing circuit at Fossombrone: the 2.8-kilometre Cappuccini twice, Monte delle Cesane and its eighteen-per-cent ramps in between.

How it was won

1. 1127 km to go

   A twelve-man break

   A dozen riders forge clear, Healy among them in a full time-trial skinsuit with no pockets — a rider clearly meaning business from the gun.

2. 250 km to go

   Healy attacks

   Just inside 50km to go Ben Healy launches his decisive solo move, climbing and descending with such vigour that the gap balloons past 1:40.

3. 320 km to go

   Monte della Cesane

   A controlled, skilful descent off the Cesane keeps Healy's advantage intact with only two minor climbs left between him and Fossombrone.

4. 42 km to go

   Roglič attacks Evenepoel

   On the final descent Roglič accelerates and a deflated Evenepoel drifts off the pace; with Thomas and Geoghegan Hart, the Slovenian takes 14 seconds out of the race favourite.

5. 5At the line

   Fossombrone

   Healy soloes home by a startling 1:49, the biggest winning margin at the Giro since 2018, announcing himself as a breakaway star.

The result