Giro 2020 Favourites stage 8: Promising circuit finale

The first half of the race travels along the Adriatic Sea. The flat roads may inspire the sprinters to day dream, but they’d better not. The Monte Sant’Angelo – 9.6 kilometres at 6.7% – appears after 90 kilometres and from there on the route goes either up or down.

With 26 kilometer remaining the riders enter a local circuit in Vieste. They’re welcomed by a short and sharp climb on the Via Saragat: 1 kilometre at 9.3% and peaking out at 17%.

After the first passage on the line there are still 14 kilometres to go. Shortly, the Via Saragat climb returns. The riders plunge down a 5 kilometres descent before the last 5 kilometres are virtually flat.

The breakaway could be successful, although other viable options are a late attack or a sprint of a reduced peloton or select group.

Favourites stage 8 Giro d’Italia 2020
*** Michael Matthews, Diego Ulissi, Peter Sagan
** Simon Clarke, Valerio Conti, Jai Hindley, Enrico Battaglin
* Gianluca Brambilla, Mikkel Bjerg, Andrea Vendrame, Mikkel Honoré

Another interesting read: route stage 8 Giro d’Italia 2020.