Plapp solos to stage win and Ulissi becomes first Italian to lead Giro in 4 years

CASTELRAIMONDO, Italy (AP) — Luke Plapp soloed to victory in the eighth stage of the Giro d’Italia for the biggest win of his career while Italian veteran Diego Ulissi moved into the overall lead on Saturday.

“Crazy, crazy,” Plapp said with a smile immediately after his first victory in a Grand Tour.

Plapp attacked from a breakaway with about 45 kilometers (28 miles) remaining and had about a minute’s advantage on the final climb. The Australian rider then used his time trialling skills to hold off his chasers.

“I knew I couldn’t beat any of them in a sprint, so I knew I had to go at some stage pretty early,” Plapp said. “I just thought I’d give it a crack and, to be honest, just wanted a bit of a head start on the descent as well.

“So, to stay away all the way to the finish is definitely not what I expected.”

Plapp had plenty of time to celebrate, sitting up and lifting his arms out as he crossed the line 38 seconds ahead of Wilco Kelderman and Ulissi at the end of the tricky 97-kilometer (122-mile) route from Giulianova to Castelraimondo.

“I feel like it’s been a long time coming,” Plapp said. “Last year I got so close at the Giro so many times, and for today to happen is so, so special.

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“We marked it as a stage (to win) for a few weeks now and then this morning on the bus we were really really excited. So to make it happen is a dream come true.”

Ulissi faced an anxious wait to see whether he’d done enough to take the pink jersey from pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic and become the first Italian to lead the race since 2021.

He let out a loud yell of joy when it was confirmed, after Roglic and most of the rest of the peleton finished nearly five minutes off the pace.

Ulissi, who had never previously led the Giro, has a 12-second advantage over compatriot Lorenzo Fortunato and was 17 seconds ahead of Roglic.

“Just before putting it on (the leader’s jersey), I was really thinking about the afternoons I spent with my grandparents when I was a kid and watching the Giro and dreaming,” Ulissi said.

“I had already realized the dream of winning stages, I came very close to wearing the pink jersey. Now, living this dream at the end of my career — because I’m not getting any younger — is everything, truly a great joy.”

Even more special is that Ulissi will be in pink as his home race heads into his home region of Tuscany.

“I’m thinking of sleeping with the maglia rosa on tonight,” Ulissi said with a laugh. “But the thought of going through my Tuscany with the maglia rosa is truly a great emotion.”

Sunday’s ninth stage includes a mini Strade Bianche on the white, gravel roads on the 181-kilometer route from Gubbio to Siena.

The Giro ends in Rome on June 1.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports