Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) has won Stage 8 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia, the 197 km long Giulianova-Castelraimondo stage, ahead of Wilco Kelderman (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana Team).
Ulissi is the new Maglia Rosa.
Plapp took the win with a mammoth 46km solo ride to glory. The 24-year-old defied the odds to attack clear from a strong breakaway group and hold on for a memorable triumph on what was a relentless and unforgettable day of racing.
Team Jayco AlUla made their intentions clear with aggressive tactics from the moment the flag dropped, with young Italian Davide De Pretto fighting hard to make it up the road in a three-rider break for the first hour of action.
Eventually a large group of 20 cracked the peloton to escape over the top of the Sassotetto climb, with Plapp joined by teammate Koen Bouwman. With the break established, the bunch halted the chase and allowed the escapees to open up an advantage of more than five minutes.
Despite the time gap, the breakaway never settled with a number of riders eager to push on the pace and reduce the numbers. However, Plapp was never far from the front, looking comfortable and in control as he followed the series of attacks.
A dangerous move then went clear on the Montelago, and while he was initially distanced by a trio of attackers, Plapp superbly worked his way back to the front before leaving his rivals behind as the summit approached.
With 46km still remaining the attack appeared risky as a strong chase group of three formed behind, but the Australian time trial champion quickly opened up a gap of over one minute. As the kilometres ticked down, the time gap remained the same with Plapp on course for a sweet and memorable victory.
With the final categorised climb out of the way nothing could stop the triple Australian road race champion from savouring the moment as he crossed the line to take thefirst Grand Tour victory of his career.
Speaking in the press conference, Plapp said: “It’s pretty crazy, I still can’t believe it to be honest. It’s been a long time coming, I’m always targeting the Aussie summer and I’ve just never been able to make a result happen in Europe. Last year I got so close at the Giro so many times and for today to happen, it is so, so special.
“We marked it as a stage for a few weeks now and then this morning on the bus we were really excited, so to make it happen, it’s a dream come true.
“It was unbelievable, the fight to get in the breakaway! It just kept going and going, there was one point there where I was following Wout [van Aert] so many times that I was almost dropped myself. Then I gave it one more chance to try and get in there and there was a massive group that made it. It was such a fight to get in the breakaway, but it was all worth it in the end and to have Koen in there as well with me, it was amazing.
“I knew I couldn’t beat any of them in a sprint, so I had to go at some stage pretty early and I think the way the racing has being going this year, the long moves have been really successful so that was sort of in the back of my mind. The first one to make a move I think always has an advantage, so I just thought I’d give it a crack. To be honest I just wanted a bit of a head start on the descent as well, so to stay away all the way to the finish is definitely not what I expected.
“I think from the Olympics last year to wrist surgery in February and now crashing in the first TT, it makes everything almost worth it. I mean the lows in cycling are super low and there’s a long time between highs, so to have a result like this is amazing.”
2025 Giro d’Italia: Stage 8 Brief Results
- Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) – 197 km in 4h44’20”, av speed 41.571 km/h
- Wilco Kelderman (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) at 38″
- Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana Team) s.t.
In the press conference, Ulissi said: “It was an incredible day! It took a huge effort to make it into the breakaway. We knew this stage was perfect for an attack, so we committed fully to the plan. In the final, (Luke) Plapp was stronger, and it came down to the two of us. At some point, I realized I had a real chance to fight for the GC lead, so I gave absolutely everything I had. The fans on the roadside were shouting that I was racing for the pink jersey — it was just amazing. To wear the maglia rosa at almost 36 years old is an unforgettable achievement. It’s one of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I’m proud to share it with XDS Astana Team. Choosing to join this team was absolutely the right decision, and today’s result proves it. We now sit first and second in the general classification, and Lorenzo (Fortunato) also delivered an outstanding performance today.
“Tomorrow we start in Tuscany — my home region. That’s something I couldn’t even dream of. I want to thank all my teammates, the staff, and our sponsors for their incredible support”, he added.
General Classification After Stage 8
- Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana Team)
- Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team) at 12″
- Primož Roglič (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe) at 17″
Official Jerseys
The leader jerseys of the Giro d’Italia are produced and designed by CASTELLI.
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by IUMAN – Intimissimi Uomo – Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana Team)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, in collaboration with Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale and ITA Italian Trade Agency – Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, born after 01/01/2000, sponsored by Conad -Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Ron is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.
Websites:
Bike World News
Ron’s Bike Garage
Current Bike Quiver:
Bird Bikes Zero 29 29″ hardtail mountain bike
Commencal Absolut 26″ Dirt Jump/Pump Track bike
Commencal Tempo 29″ full suspension mountain bike
Felt ZA 700c race bike
Kona Kilauea vintage 26″ mountain bike
Niner RLT9 700c road/gravel bike
Specialized Stumpjumper vintage 26″ mountain bike
Day Job: Digital Marketing
Night Job: Digital Marketing, eCommerce Consultant, Web Consultant, Bike Shop Operator, Husband, Dad, Tenor
Discover more from Bike World News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.