Giro d'Italia 2012: Colnago rider Domenico Pozzovivo wins stage eight at Lago Laceno 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 at 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. Canadian 31-year-old Hesjedal insisted he can keep the pink jersey through to the end of the Giro, which concludes in Milan in two Sundays' time. He said: "It was a tough day. I had to buckle down, keep in contact and defend the jersey. I got over the top of the steep part of the climb and so I was okay. It was reported that I'm not here to win the pink jersey but I want to correct that. I came here to give my best. That's my goal. I feel I'm doing that; I'm leading the Giro. I'm just focused on doing my best. We'll see how the rest of the race develops. Giro d'Italia, Lago Laceno, Italy Leading positions after Stage 8 (Sulmona - Lago Laceno, 229km): 1 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox 6hrs 06mins 05secs, 2 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team at 23secs, 3 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team at 27, 4 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team at same time, 5 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep at same time, 6 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale at same time, 7 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox at same time, 8 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team NetApp at same time, 9 Jose Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli at same time, 10 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale at same time, 11 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Barracuda at same time, 12 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team at same time, 13 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling at same time, 14 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD at same time, 15 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD at same time Selected Others: 124 Geraint Thomas (Gbr) Sky Procycling at 16mins 09secs, 127 Peter Kennaugh (Gbr) Sky Procycling at same time, 154 Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Sky Procycling at 21:16, 156 Ian Stannard (Gbr) Sky Procycling at same time, 157 Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Sky Procycling at same time General Classification after Stage 8: 1 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Barracuda 32hrs 23mins 25secs, 2 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team at 09secs, 3 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team at 15, 4 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Astana Pro Team at 35, 5 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team at same time, 6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale at 40, 7 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale at 45, 8 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep at 46, 9 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan at 48, 10 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale at 52, 11 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling at 53, 12 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD at 54, 13 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox at 55, 14 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling at 01:10, 15 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD at 1:14 Selected Others: 123 Geraint Thomas (Gbr) Sky Procycling at 46mins 17secs, 126 Peter Kennaugh (Gbr) Sky Procycling at 47:02, 151 Ian Stannard (Gbr) Sky Procycling at 57:20, 171 Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Sky Procycling at 1:09:29, 189 Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Sky Procycling at 1:30:39