Brambilla attacked on the final climb Alpe di Poti and could not be reeled in as Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale took second and Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling finished third just over a minute behind. “This is amazing,” he exclaimed after the race. “My plan at the beginning of the Giro was to focus on today’s [Saturday] stage and I’ve made it but I cannot believe that I’ve done it.
Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin got dropped on the climb and finished almost 3 min down and sits 11th overall. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Trek-Segafredo was 29th on the stage and dropped one spot to 22nd overall.
Results (brief)
1. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step 4:14:05
2. Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 1:06
3. Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:27
4. Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data 1:28
5. Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team 1:33
6. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team 1:41
7. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
8. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Team Sky
9. Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-GreenEdge
10. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Team Katusha
29. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Trek-Segafredo 2:35
139. Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale 18:05
179. Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge
GC after Stage 8
1. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step 33:39:14
2. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Team Katusha 0:23
3. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:33
4. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team 0:36
5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:45
6. Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-GreenEdge 0:48
7. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:49
8. Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff Team 0:54
9. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
10. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Team Sky 1:03
22. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Trek-Segafredo 2:36
97. Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale 37:54
170. Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge 1:40:00