After 8 stages, an Italian at last leads the Giro d’Italia. On a Strade Bianche-type dirt-track climb, Gianluca Brambilla of Etixx-Quick Step rode away to the stage win and the Maglia Rosa on a 186km stage from Follgno to Arezzo.
More than 1'40" after he finished, eleven GC contenders arrived together at Arezzo. Former race leader Tom Dumoulin was not among them.
He could not hold the pace on the crucial sector of the race and finished 38th in the stage, conceding 2'51" to the new Maglia Rosa.
FINAL RESULT
1 - Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx - Quick-Step) - 186km in 4h14'05", average speed 43.922km/h
2 - Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale) a 1'06"
3 - Moreno Moser (Cannondale Pro Cycling Team) a 1'27"
JERSEYS
- Maglia Rosa (pink), General Classification, sponsored by Enel - Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx - Quick-Step)
- Maglia Rossa (red), Sprint Classification, sponsored by Algida - André Greipel (Lotto Soudal)
- Maglia Azzurra (blue), Mountains Classification, sponsored by Banca Mediolanum - Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal)
- Maglia Bianca (white), Young Rider Classification, sponsored by Eurospin - Bob Jungels (Etixx - Quick-Step)
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 - Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx - Quick-Step)
2 - Ilnur Zakarin (Team Katusha) at 23"
3 - Steven Kruijswijk (Team Lotto NL - Jumbo) at 33"
STATISTICS
- First Maglia Rosa for Gianluca Brambilla. Since he turned pro in 2010, he has never led a stage race
- Unprecedented podium: Brambilla, Montaguti and Moser have never before finished in the top 3 of a Giro stage
- The last time three Italian riders were on the podium was in stage 13 of the 2015 Giro d’Italia at Lido di Jesolo (Modolo/Nizzolo/Viviani)