The eighth stage of the Giro d’Italia resembles a small version of the Amstel Gold Race. Saturday’s stage with start and finish in Naples therefore seems to suit Mathieu van der Poel.
According to the route book, the eighth stage has only one categorized ascent of the fourth category, but it goes up and down all day in the south of Italy.
From the center of Naples, the riders will cover about 50 kilometers to Bacoli. There follows a local circuit of 19 kilometers that the peloton has to complete four times, each time with the ascent of Monte di Procida (2.1 kilometers at 6 percent) and a short climb to Lake Lucrinus (600 meters at 9.4 per cent).
After 129 of a total of 154 kilometers, the peloton heads back to Naples. It also remains undulating in the final, with a hill of 3.3 kilometers at 7 kilometers from the finish with an average rise of 4.7 percent.
A bunch sprint seems very unlikely; top sprinters Arnaud Démare, Caleb Ewan and Mark Cavendish will normally be released in the hills around Naples.
Démare was the fastest twice already
Van der Poel and his team Alpecin-Fenix will bet on a very tough course. The Dutchman can then finish it in the sprint of a thinned out group or with an attack on one of the climbs.
In Friday’s very tough seventh stage, Van der Poel tried to get into the leading group in the initial phase, but he was unable to do so. In the rest of the ride, he did not insist anymore. He came in more than fifteen minutes from day winner Koen Bouwman.
Biniam Girmay already proved last Friday that he can be a big challenger for Van der Poel on a hilly course. He was then second, just behind the leader of Alpecin-Fenix. Magnus Cort is another fast man who can get over the hills well, while adventurers like Thomas De Gendt will also see a chance at winning.
Official start: 1.40 pm
Expected finish time: around 5.15 pm
Favorites for day success:
⭐⭐⭐ Mathieu van der Poel
⭐⭐ Magnus Cort, Biniam Girmay
⭐ Thomas De Gendt, Diego Ulissi