FRENCHMAN VICTOR LAFAY of Cofidis won stage eight of the Giro d’Italia today as Hungarian Attila Valter of Groupama-FDJ kept hold of the overall race lead.
The chief contenders for the 21-stage race, Egan Bernal and Remco Evenepoel, finished together on the eve of a major mountain-top finish Sunday when a shake-up is expected.
Lafay bagged his first professional win and a first for Cofidis at the Giro in 11 years after joining a long range escape group of nine riders.
This group opened a seven-minute gap over the main peloton on the chief difficulty of the day, a 20km climb known as the Boca della Selva.
The 25-year-old Lafay kept his powder dry before pulling away with ease on the final shorter climb through olive groves and vineyards to Sanframondi.
“It was difficult to get away, but the peloton allowed us seven minutes, that kind of climb is where I’m best so I just waited for my moment,” said Lafay.
Simon Yates, Romain Bardet and Aleksandr Vlasov crossed the line 4min 48sec later with Bernal and Evenepoel leaving the race poised for Sunday’s showdown ahead of Monday’s first rest day.
The 22-year-old Valter will race a third day in the overall leader’s pink jersey.
“There were fans shouting my name and it’ll be great to ride in the lead one more day, tomorrow will be really, really hard for sure,” said the Hungarian.
Dan Martin crosses the line in the group of favorites, just under five minutes after the winner. No changes amongst the top GC riders.
— Israel Start-Up Nation / Israel Cycling Academy (@TeamIsraelSUN) May 15, 2021
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Australian Caleb Ewan pulled out of the Giro some 35km into the eighth stage, having been dropped by the main pack in the early running and complaining of a sore knee.
The 26-year-old Lotto Soudal leader won stage five earlier in the week and stage seven on Friday, and was leading the sprint points classification.
Results and standings from stage eight of the Giro d’Italia, a 170km ride from Foggia to Sanframondi:
1. Victor Lafay (FRA/Cofidis) 4hrs 6min 47sec, 2. Francesco Gavazzi (ITA/EOL) at 36sec, 3. Nikias Arndt (GER/DSM) 37, 4. Nelson Oliveira (POR/MOV) 41, 5. Giovanni Carboni (ITA/BAR) 44, 6. Kobe Goossens (BEL/LOT) 58, 7. Victor Campenaerts (BEL/QHU) 1:00, 8. Alexis Gougeard (FRA/AG2) 1:54, 9. Fernando Gaviria (COL/UAE) 3:04, 10. Joao Almeida (POR/DEC) 4:48
Overall standings
1. Attila Valter (HUN/FDJ) 31hrs, 10mins and 53sec, 2. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/DEC) at 11sec, 3. Egan Bernal (COL/INE) 16., 4. Aleksandr Vlasov (RUS/AST) 24, 5. Hugh Carthy (GBR/EF1) 38, 6. Damiano Caruso (ITA/BAH) 39, 7. Giulio Ciccone (ITA/TRE) 41, 8. Dan Martin (IRL/ISR) 47, 9. Simon Yates (GBR/BIK) 49, 10. Louis Vervaeke (BEL/ALP) 50
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Bernard Jackman, Garry Doyle and Gavan Casey discuss the interpros and, inspired by new Ospreys signing Jack Regan, the need for Irish rugby to expand its methods for producing talent.
