FOSSOMBORONE, ITALY (AP) – Primoz Roglic launched the first significant attack of the Giro d’Italia in Saturday’s undulating eighth stage and gained 14 seconds on overall rival Remco Evenepoel.
Ineos teammates Tao Geoghegan Hart and Geraint Thomas also rode strongly.
Irish rider Ben Healy won the stage with a solo breakaway, while Norway’s Andreas Leknessund held onto the pink jersey despite losing a big chunk of time.
Healy got into an early breakaway and surged ahead in the finale on the first of two ascents up the short but steep Muro dei Cappuccini climb, which featured gradients of up to 19 per cent.
The Cappuccini climb was also where Roglic burst into action on the second ascent with six kilometres to go.
By the top of the climb, only Geoghegan Hart and Thomas were with Roglic, while Evenepoel was left behind, and Leknessund even further back.
Leknessund’s overall lead ahead of Evenepoel was reduced to eight seconds, with Roglic surging up to third, 38 seconds back.
“It’s a relief to retain the maglia rosa (pink jersey) after such a strong effort at the end,” Leknessund said. “It was the fight I expected in the last climb. I probably wouldn’t have raced like that if I wasn’t wearing the maglia rosa.”
Joao Almeida is fourth overall, while Thomas and Geoghegan Hart moved up to fifth and sixth, respectively. Roglic is a three-time Spanish Vuelta champion, Geoghegan Hart won the Giro in 2020 and Thomas won the 2018 Tour de France.
Evenepoel won the Vuelta last year and is also the reigning world champion.
Healy, who rides for the EF Education-EasyPost team, finished one minutes, 49 seconds ahead of Derek Gee and Filippo Zanna.
“I went from far out but I thought this was the right move,” Healy said. “I didn’t want to lose my chance to win. I had good legs all along.”
The 207-kilometre leg began in Terni and concluded in Fossombrone. The race ends in Rome on May 28.
