CYCLING: Giro d’Italia 2.UWT Stage 8 2025 (ITA)

Saturday, May 17, 2025 – Giro d’Italia Stage 8 Preview: Giulianova to Castelraimondo (197 km)

Stage Overview:

Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia 2025 is a 197-kilometer hilly stage from Giulianova on the Adriatic coast to Castelraimondo in the Marche region. With approximately 3,800 meters of elevation gain, this stage presents a significant challenge with a relentless series of climbs and descents throughout the day. The route avoids any major, high-altitude mountain passes but features numerous categorized and uncategorized climbs, making it a demanding day for the peloton.

Key Features of the Route:

• Start in Giulianova: The stage begins in the coastal town of Giulianova, heading inland into the hilly terrain of the Teramo and Piceno mountains.
• Succession of Climbs: The riders will face a constant up-and-down profile, with very little flat road.
• Categorized Climbs: There are four official categorized climbs:
  • Croce di Casale (Category 3): 8.6 km at an average of 4.5%, coming early in the stage (around km 60.9).
  • Sassotetto (Valico di Santa Maria Maddalena) (Category 1): 13.1 km at an average of 7.4%, with sections up to 14%, located around the midpoint of the stage (summit at km 105.3). This is the highest point of the stage.
  • Montelago (Category 3): 5.5 km at an average of 6.9%, situated with around 45 km remaining (summit at km 152.1).
  • Gagliole (Category 4): 0.7 km at an average of 10.5%, very close to the finish (summit at km 190.5, just 6.5 km from the line).
• Uncategorized Climbs: In addition to the categorized ascents, the stage features numerous uncategorized rises that will further fatigue the riders.
• Technical Descent: Following the Sassotetto climb is a long and technical descent.
• Finishing Circuit: The final part of the stage involves a loop around Castelraimondo.
• Finale: The last kilometers include the short but steep climb to Gagliole followed by a technical descent into Castelraimondo. The final kilometer has a slight uphill drag to the finish line.
• Intermediate Sprints: There are intermediate sprints in Roccafluvione (km 49.9) and Sarnano (km 90.6), as well as a Red Bull sprint in Castel Santa Maria (km 177.4) offering bonus seconds.

Potential Scenarios:

Given the challenging and undulating terrain throughout the stage, several scenarios are possible:

• Breakaway Success: This stage is well-suited for a breakaway group of strong climbers and puncheurs to go clear early. The constant climbing will make it difficult for the peloton to control a determined group, and the lack of a final, decisive climb reduces the incentive for GC teams to chase aggressively all day.
• GC Contenders Testing Each Other: While the main climbs are situated relatively far from the finish, the cumulative fatigue and the punchy final climb to Gagliole could still provide opportunities for GC contenders to test their rivals or gain a few seconds.
• Puncheurs and Strong Riders: The uphill finish after a demanding day favors riders with strong legs and explosive power on short climbs. If a select group remains at the end, a puncheur could potentially sprint to victory.

Riders to Watch:

• Breakaway specialists with good climbing legs.
• Puncheurs who can handle a tough day in the saddle and excel on short, steep climbs.
• GC riders who might want to gain time or test their form on the challenging terrain.

Weather:

The weather forecast for Saturday in the region indicates partly cloudy conditions with temperatures around 15-20°C. There is a possibility of rain developing later in the day, which could make the technical descents more treacherous.

In summary, Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia 2025 is expected to be a demanding and exciting day of racing across the central Italian Apennines. The challenging profile offers opportunities for a breakaway to succeed, while the punchy finale could also see action from the GC contenders or a strong puncheur taking the stage win.

Saturday, May 17, 2025 – Giro d’Italia Stage 8 Summary: Giulianova to Castelraimondo (197 km)

Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla) won Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia 2025 with a stunning solo attack from a large breakaway group with around 44 kilometers remaining. He crossed the finish line in Castelraimondo 38 seconds ahead of the chasing duo of Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Diego Ulissi (XDS-Astana), who finished second and third respectively.

The 197-kilometer hilly stage from Giulianova to Castelraimondo featured four categorized climbs, including the challenging Category 1 Sassotetto in the middle of the stage. A significant breakaway of around 19 riders formed early in the race and fractured on the difficult terrain.

Plapp launched his decisive attack on the Category 3 Montelago climb, and despite a chase from Kelderman and Ulissi, the Australian rider held on for his first Grand Tour stage victory.

Diego Ulissi (XDS-Astana) finished third on the stage and, crucially, gained enough time and bonus seconds to take over the Maglia Rosa, becoming the first Italian to lead the general classification in four years. His teammate Lorenzo Fortunato retains the lead in the King of the Mountains classification and moved up to second place overall.

Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), a key GC contender, finished within the peloton but managed to gain one second on the previous leader, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).