Dumoulin cracks as Italians sweep the podium and take pink

So maybe Tom Dumoulin was right after all. Maybe he doesn't have designs for the overall classification of this Giro d'Italia and maybe he didn't train at altitude like the rest; not that today's stage was at altitude or even near the high mountains but, you know, climbing legs and all that. And maybe his goal was a few days in pink up through the first long time-trial before resigning himself. That goal took a big hit today though it still remains a possibility should he show his true colours against the clock tomorrow, but it would appear the reality is that when the going gets steep, Dumoulin isn't ready to challenge the climbers.

That said, you'd also be a fool to write Dumoulin off as anyone who watched him in last years Vuelta will attest. He could very well be back in pink tomorrow with some time to play with and he could yet begin to find some climbing legs. Just todays ago, it is worth remembering, he put the likes of Nibali and Landa on the back foot. But, today was a tough one.

He surrendered his pink race leaders jersey to the impressive Gianluca Brambilla who on the roads of Tuscany threw back reminders to this years Strade Bianche and his talents on this kind of terrain when he came third. This time he took the win when he escaped from a large group that had gone clear earlier in the day. The group was full of names suited to this kind of stage: rolling roads with quite a large dusty, gravel climb near the finish before a drop down into Arezzo.

Indeed quite a few in the break survived, populating the top five in the stage and with only 1min 56sec separating Brambilla from the pink jersey going into the stage, the Italian had a lot to play for. It wasn't long before he was provisional race leader on the road and from there it was about attacking at the right time to win and also avoid losing too much time to the ever aggressive, ever reducing GC group chasing behind. And he did as Italians finished 1-2-3 on the stage and seen an Italian move into pink.

The one absentee from that GC group looking to limit Brambilla's gain, was Dumoulin. When they hit the climb it was Alejandro Valverde who put the hammer down and Dumoulin was immediately in trouble. The big Dutchman would lose 1min 10sec to Valverde come the finish; the Spaniard also leading home his rivals and snatching three seconds from Nibali come the line in a race in which every second might well count. Before today there was the great danger that Dumoulin might come out of tomorrow with up to three minutes in his pocket in the race for the overall classification, but now, even a great time-trial, Dumoulin might only take the race lead by a handful of seconds once again, and that would suit the likes of Valverde and Nibali just fine.

2016 Giro d'Italia, stage 8 result:

1. Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx - Quick Step) 2. Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale) 3. Moreno Moser (Cannondale) 4. Jaco Venter (Dimension Data) 5. Alessandro De Marchi (BMC) 6. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) Others: 10. Mikel Landa (Sky 17. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 38. Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin)

in 4h 14' 05" @ 1' 06" @ 1' 27" @ 1' 28" @ 1' 33" @ 1' 41" s.t. @ 1' 44" @ 2' 51"

General classification after stage 8:

1. Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx - Quick Step) 2. Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) 3. Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) 4. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) 5. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 6. Esteban Chaves (Orica GreenEdge Others: 10. Mikel Landa (Sky) 11. Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) 22. Ryder Hesjedal (Trek-Segafredo)

in 33h 39 14" @ 23" @ 33" @ 36" @ 45" @ 48" @ 1' 03" @ 1' 05" @ 2' 36"