Giro 2019: Ewan sprints to victory, Conti holds maglia rosa

Caleb Ewan outguns Elia Viviani and Pascal Ackermann in the sprint at the end of the 8th stage on the Giro, at 239 kilometres the longest race of this edition. Valerio Conti still leads the GC. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 8th stage Giro d’Italia 2019

1. Caleb Ewan (aus) s.t.
2. Elia Viviani (ita) s.t.
3. Pascal Ackermann (ger) s.t.
4. Fabio Sabatini (ita) s.t.
5. Manuel Belletti (ita) s.t.
6. Arnaud Démare (fra) s.t.
7. Davide Cimolai (ita) s.t.
8. Marco Canola (ita) s.t.
9. Giacomo Nizzolo (ita) s.t.
10. Rüdiger Selig (ger) s.t.

GC after stage 8
1. Valerio Conti (ita)
2. José Joaquín Rojas (spa) + 1.32
3. Giovanni Carboni (ita) + 1.41
4. Nans Peters (fra) + 2.09
5. Valentin Madouas (fra) + 2.17
6. Amaro Antunes (por) + 2.45
7. Fausto Masnada (ita) + 3.14
8. Pieter Serry (bel) + 3.25
9. Andrey Amador (cri) + 3.27
10. Sam Oomen (nld) + 4.57

11. Pello Bilbao (spa) + 5.23
12. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 5.24
13. Davide Formolo (ita) s.t.
15. Simon Yates (gbr) + 5.59
16. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 6.03
17. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 6.08
18. Rafal Majka (pol) + 6.13
20. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 6.19
21. Bob Jungels (lux) + 6.26
25. Richard Carapaz (ecu) + 6.45
26. Pavel Sivakov (rus) + 6.48
27. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 7.00
29. Mikel Landa (spa) + 7.13

Race report
Three riders jump clear as soon as the flag is dropped. Marco Frapporti, Nathan Brown and Damiano Cima carve out a gap of 2 minutes when Brown changes his mind. He sits up and drops back into the main group, while the remaining duo widens the lead to almost 6 minutes before the peloton takes the reins.

Frapporti is the last man standing on a climb with 38 kilometres to go. KOM leader Giulio Ciccone bridges across to reap his reward at the top before the peloton regroups a little later.

Louis Vervaeke strikes on a hill with 25 kilometres out. Ciccone and Francois Bidard track him down before the KOM leader pockets the points.

The trio widens the gap to 46 seconds before the peloton tracks them down inside the last 7 kilometres.

In the ensuing sprint Caleb Ewan outclasses his rivals. Pascal Ackermann opens, but the Australian and Elia Viviani come around. The other sprinters are nowhere to be seen.

Another interesting read: route 8th stage 2019 Giro d’Italia.