Plapp claims first Grand Tour stage win at Giro

With a stunning solo victory on the eighth stage of the Giro d’Italia, Australian Luke Plapp won the first Grand Tour title of his career.

With about 40 kilometers to go, the 24-year-old attacked from the breakaway group and passed the line with a 38-second gap over Wilco Kelderman of the Netherlands.

Diego Ulissi, an Italian for the first time since 2021, moved into the lead in the overall standings with a third place finish.

At the conclusion of the race, Plapp remarked, “I still can’t believe it, to be honest.

“I feel like it’s been a long time coming,” he said. “I’m always trying to get an Australian summer, but I just can’t get it to happen in Europe.”

For today to occur is truly special because I was so close to the Giro last year.

Plapp then joked that because he had so much time to go before the 197km stage, Plapp felt compelled to finish in style.

Primoz Roglic, who finished third overall, is still 17 seconds behind Ulissi, who is now in command of the overall lead.

On Sunday, Ulissi will participate in the 181 km stage from Gubbio to Siena that will span the region of his birth, Tuscany.

Simon Yates is the 10th-placed British rider, while Max Poole is the seventh-placed rider overall.

1. Luke Plapp (Aus/Jayco Alula) 4h 44, 20 seconds

2. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Visma-Lease a Bike) + 38secs

3. 3.8 seconds for Diego Ulissi (Ita/XDS-Astana).

4. Igor Arrieta (Spa/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) + 1 minute 22 seconds

5. Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) + 1 minute 35 seconds

6. Andrea Vendrame (Ita/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) + 1 minute, 48 seconds

7. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita/XDS-Astana) + 1 minute, 48 seconds

8. Georg Steinhauser (Ger/EF Education-EasyPost) + 2 min 59 secs

9. Ron Bardet (Fra/Picnic PostNL) + 3 minutes 02 seconds

1. Diego Ulissi (Ita/XDS-Astana) 29hr 21min 23secs

2. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita/XDS-Astana) + 12secs

3. Prioroz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) + 17 secs

4. 20secs Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) + 20secs

5. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) + 26 seconds

6. 44secs by Antonio Tiberi (Ita/Bahrain Victorious) + 44.

7. 47secs for Max Poole (GB/Team Picnic PostNL) + 47 seconds

8. Michael Storer (Aus/Tudor Pro Cycling) + 50 seconds

9. Emirates-XRG USA/UAE Team Brandon McNulty + 51secs