DOMENICO POZZOVIVO HAS won the 229-kilometre stage eight of the Giro d’Italia, riding away over the last few kilometres to win by 23 seconds.
In the final climb of Sunday’s stage on the Colle Molella, Pozzovivo broke away from the peloton with just under seven kilometres to go.
The 29-year-old Italian powered up the hill to move over 30 seconds ahead of the chasers and then held on to win.
Benat Intxausti of Movistar, who went after Pozzovivo, finished second with a large group of riders a further four seconds back.
Sunday’s stage was led for over 200 kilometres by a breakaway group of Miguel Minguez, Andrei Bipkazacova, Tomasz Marczynski and Julien Berard.
Minguez and Berard were dropped with 50 kilometres to go and Bipkazacova and Marczynski were caught by the peloton with just 16 kilometres left.
Garmin-Barracuda’s Ryder Hesjedal struggled towards the end of Sunday’s stage but held in with the peloton to keep the pink jersey.
But Joaquim Rodriguez of Katusha, who won the sprint for third, picked up a time bonus to move within nine seconds of Hesjedal.
Paolo Tiralongo of Astana is a further six seconds back. Tiralongo’s team-mate Roman Kreuziger is in fourth and Intxausti is fifth overall.
Pozzovivo’s stage win puts him within a minute of the overall lead.
