For: puncheurs, attackers
Key points: six short climbs in the final 60 kilometres
Chieti is one of the oldest cities in Italy, which is no small feat in a country so steeped in history. The first traces of urban settlement date back some 7,000 years. In Roman times the city was known as Teate, named after Thetis, mother of Achilles, who according to legend founded the city.
It will be the fifteenth time that Chieti hosts a Giro stage start, the most recent being in 2009. The race went to the Blockhaus, where Franco Pellizotti soloed to victory. This time we’ll see a scenario unfold im which punchers and attackers are expected to shine.
From Chieti the peloton quickly reaches the Adriatic an d they follow the coast all the way north to Cupra Marittima, where they turn inland. Soon after, they find themselves on the slopes of the hill topped by Montefiore dell’Aso. Following the descent, the road kicks up again immediately towards Monterubbiano, a 4.7-kilometre climb at 5.8%.
Following the downhill, the road climbs 3.3 kilometres at 4.9% to Fermo, and shortly afterwards an uncompromising wall adds 540 metres at 11.1% to the mix.
In other words, the peloton has already reached Fermo, but 25 kilometres still remain. A steady descent leads to Lido di Fermo on the coast, after which the road climbs 4.3 kilometres at 5.3% to Capodarco, where the likes of Jai Hindley, Einer Rubio and Filippo Zana won the GP Capodarco in their early twenties – in 2016, 2018 and 2019 respectively.
The riders pass through Capodarco with only 7 kilometres to go, roughly half of which downhill. The finishing climb then serves up something of a rollercoaster. The opening section rises at 12.6% before easing off and then kicking back up to 6.1% after the flamme rouge. To make things even trickier, the finale plays out on the narrow, cobbled streets of Fermo’s old town.
It’s been a while since the Giro last finished in this hilltop town above the coast. In 1972 Gianni Motta claimed victory here, while the 2022 Tirreno–Adriatico featured a finish in Fermo after the exact same finale as this year. Back then, Warren Barguil triumphed from the breakaway, with Xandro Meurisse and Simone Velasco settling for second and third.
Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 8th stage 2026 Giro d’Italia.
Giro d’Italia 2026 stage 8: route, profile, videos
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