Giro d'Italia (2012) Photos; Stage 8: Sulmona → Lago Laceno, 229 km
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Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Barracuda) releasing pink balloons to start his first day as the race leader		share this photo
Another gorgeous day for bike racing in Italy. Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Barracuda) saluting the crowd in Sulmona		share this photo
We haven't heard much from Ivan Basso on the road, but his Giro d'Italia is going exactly as planned		share this photo
Garmin - Barracuda was wearing both the race and young rider jerseys this morning (Ryder Hesjedal and Peter Stetina)		share this photo
Starting under a Roman aquaduct in Sulmona		share this photo
The rollout from Sulmona		share this photo
The rollout from Sulmona		share this photo
The rollout from Sulmona		share this photo
A scenic shot of the peloton heading south on one of the few flat sections of Stage 8		share this photo
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Barracuda) had a tough time near the end of today's stage with a mechanical and dangled of the back of the GC group on the final climb		share this photo
Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago - CSF Inox) jumping out of the pack on the final climb		share this photo
Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago - CSF Inox) launching his winning move with 6.5 km to go / 2 km from the top of Colle Molella (Cat 2 at km 224.6, 9.9 km @ 6.0% gradient to 1087m elevation)		share this photo
Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago - CSF Inox) nearing the top of Colle Molella		share this photo
I keep wanting to call him Diminutive Pozzovivo		share this photo
Diminutive/Domenico Pozzovivo lit up last month's Giro del Trentino, the warm-up race for the Giro, in a similar fashion		share this photo
Finish panoramic in Lago Laceno. It's fitting the southern most stage of this year's Giro d'Italia was won by a rider from the south		share this photo
Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago - CSF Inox) then soloed the final (flat) 4 km to beat 2nd Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Movistar) + 23s while Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) won the gc contenders bunch sprint for third + 27s		share this photo
Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago - CSF Inox) is clearly the danger man now, just 55s back on GC		share this photo
Benat Intxausti (Movistar) was unable to chase down Pozzovivo.		share this photo
Benat Intxausti (Movistar) throwing his bike to gain every possible second. He finished 2nd + 23s		share this photo
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) won the gc contenders bunch sprint for third + 27s		share this photo
Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago - CSF Inox) being escorted to the podium		share this photo
Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago - CSF Inox)		share this photo
Your stage 8 winner, Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago - CSF Inox)		share this photo
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		share this photo
Despite having a difficult time at the end of the stage, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Barracuda) held onto the race lead by just 9s over Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha)		share this photo
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Barracuda) keeps the Pink Jersey. (The larger version of this photo was corrupted in transmission)		share this photo
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It's not easy at the top		share this photo
Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago - CSF Inox) at the post race press conference		share this photo
Pozzovivo is one of only a handful of professional riders from the south of Italy and got a huge cheer from the local crowd in Lake Laceno, the most southern point in this year’s race: “I’m perhaps too little to think big, I’ll take things day by day and do as well as I can,” the diminutive rider said. “This year’s Giro was wrongly described as being easy compared to the past. I’d say it’s more humane compared to 2011, which was really tough. I finished ninth at the (2008) Giro d’Italia and was strong in the third week, so I’m confident about the final week in the mountains this year’s Giro d’Italia.” “I’m a pure climber and I think about music to motivate me when I’m racing. I also try to get to the top as quickly as possible to get the climb over with. My favourite climbs are the Mortirolo, Passo Giau and Punto Veleno. The ones I least like are the Zoncolan, the Mortirolo and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. I don’t like wet descents or on dirt roads like last year to Orvieto. I also don’t like the Vivione and the Gavia descents.”		share this photo
Giro d'Italia (2012) Photos; Stage 8: Sulmona → Lago Laceno, 229 km
« Stage 07 photos	return to: « Giro d'Italia 2012 Live Dashboard  |  Giro d'Italia (2012) photo gallery	Stage 09 photos »