A day for the Puncheurs. Giro d'Italia stage 8 preview

After the first GC skirmish yesterday, the Giro heads away from the Apennine mountains and to the coast for a stage that is like a typical stage at Tirreno Adriatico, lots of short, sharp climbs in the finale, meaning who knows whether it's a stage for the breakaway, a GC battle or one for the Puncheurs.



The first half of the stage is pretty much pan flat with the odd lump and bump at the beginning, but the stage really begins at the intermediate sprint where Magnier, Milan and co will sprint for points towards the Maglia Ciclamino if the breakaway doesn't hoover them all up but after the sprint there is virtually no flat roads at all with constant ups and downs which should provide great racing whether that is a GC battle or otherwise.

The four categorised climbs are all very similar, not very long apart from the first one, which is 9.9km at 3.6%; the other three are shorter, all under 5km, but have steep sections within them. Expect the first attacks from the peloton to come in the Red Bull kilometre, which has a section of it which is 540m at 11.1% so any sprinter probably stands no chance of getting over that climb while remaining in the bunch expect UAE to be active at this point in the race with Narvaez, Christen, Arrieta and Morgardo standing a chance to win this stage on a good day.

After the Red Bull kilometre, there is a long descent running into the penultimate climb of the day, which is 2.5km at 6.1%, so not the hardest climb in the world, but because of its placement in the stage could again provide a launchpad for an attack that could go to the finish which is at the top of the final climb which at 3.7km at 5.7% is again no where near the hardest climb at this years Giro but will provide action as people attack to try and go clear and win the stage.

Its impossible to call who may win this stage GC riders who lost time yesterday like Arensman, Bernal and Mas may well try and get in an attack late on try and get some time back but also it could just be a reduced bunch sprint in that case Narvaez, Ballerini and Turner if they are still there become the favourites it also could easily be a day for the breakaway if its the right composition with no one threatening Eulalio's pink jersey up the road Bahrain Victorius, Visma and Red Bull might just let the breakway take the stage and save their legs for tomorrows brutal stage. If I have to give a prediction, I'm going to go with Narvaez taking the stage in a small, reduced bunch sprint like on stage 4.

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