Stage : Napoli to Napoli
Distance: 153km
Race times: 13:35-17:15 (CEST)
Stage type: Hilly
Variety is the spice of life at the 2022 Giro, and after a day heavy of climbing, the riders face a hilly criterium-style race around Italy’s third largest city, Napoli in Italian or otherwise known as Naples, on stage 8.
Naples hasn’t featured in the Giro since 2013, when it also hosted a circuit, that time as the Grande Partenza. The stage was won by Mark Cavendish, but this time around, the day will not be for a sprinter, but will instead favour a good all-rounder who can climb, descend and have a strong finish.
Beginning in Naples, the route takes the peloton west along the Phlegraean Peninsula to Bacoli. From there, they begin four repetitions of a 19km circuit which includes a category 4 climb, the Monte di Procida. Following the fifth and final descent from the climb they head back along the coast to Naples, taking on an uncategorised climb 10km from the finish which is 5km in length and features challenging gradients of up to 10 per cent.
The day is unlikely to cause ripples among the pool of GC contenders – instead, expect a strong attacking breakaway to go head-to-head as the bunch thins out with each repetition of the circuit. The likes of Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) and Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) could fare well on this stage, as after the climbs are over and done with there is a flat run-in along the waterfront to finish on the expansive seaside promenade of Via Francesco Caracciolo. A strong sprint may be needed in order to secure victory on this stage.
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