Vuelta 2015 stage 8: Jasper Stuyven thunders to the win

Totalling 180 kilometres, the first 120 kilometres in stage 8 are mostly downhill. Then a flat section with two times the same hill awaits the riders, but eventually the fast men battle it out. No Degenkolb (dropped), no Sagan (crash), no Bouhanni (crashet out), but it is the young Belgian Jasper Stuyven powering to the win. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 8th stage Vuelta

1. Jasper Stuyven (bel)
2. Pelle Bilbao (spa) s.t.
3. Kevin Reza (fra) s.t.
4. Giovanni Visconti(ita) s.t.
5. Kristian Sbaragli (fra) s.t.
6. Tosh Van der Sande (bel) s.t.
7. Jérôme Simon (fra) s.t.
8. Pieter Serry (bel) s.t.
9. José Joaquin Rojas (spa) s.t.
10. Nicolas Roche (irl) s.t.

GC after stage 8
1. Esteban Chaves (col)
2. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 0.10
3. Nicolas Roche (irl) + 0.36
4. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 0.49
5. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa) + 0.56
6. Nairo Quintana (col) + 0.57
7. Fabio Aru (ita) s.t.
8. Daniel Moreno (spa) + 1.18
9. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 1.19
10. Mikel Nieve (spa) + 1.21
11. Chris Froome (gbr) + 1.22
12. Rafal Majka (pol) + 1.29
13. Mikel Landa (spa) + 1.39

Race report
With 40 km’s done the pack is still bunched. The pace is so high no rider manages to break clear, but then Iljo Keisse, Jimmy Engoulvent, Alex Howes, Tom Van Asbroeck, Mattia Cattaneo and Ángel Madrazo are off. They race to a 5 minutes gain before the pack takes control to bring it down to under 2 minutes with 50 km’s left.

A little later a crash takes Martin, Van Garderen and Bouhanni down. The American is forced to quit.

With 33 km’s left the escapees are caught.

While climbing Alto de la Cresta del Gallo for the second time Gianlucca Brambilla goes solo until he is accompanied by Joaquin Rojas, Alberto Losada, Sergio Henao and Kenny Elissonde, but in the drop the main contenders group together.

Kenny Elissonde attacks with 12.5 km to go, Alberto Losada jumps to his wheel, and José Gonçalves joins them. Sagan leads he chase, but his chances are gone when he crashes.

The leaders are caught with 3.6 kilometres left.

More to follow