2012 Giro d'Italia, Stage 1 to Stage 11
Stage 8
Stage 8
-------

13 May 2012 — [Sulmona](/wiki/Sulmona "Sulmona") to [Lago Laceno](/wiki/Laceno "Laceno"), 
For the third successive day, the riders contended with a stage that was designated as a medium\-mountain stage, with the race reaching its most southerly point by the finish in Laceno. Again, only two categorised climbs were scheduled; the fourth\-category *Valico di Macerone* climb was contested at the  mark, before descending down and ramping up towards the finish, with the day's other climb – the *Colle Molella* – coming just  prior to the finish. The primary breakaway of the stage was formed early in the stage, when a wave of four riders – 's [Andrey Amador](/wiki/Andrey_Amador "Andrey Amador"), [Julien Bérard](/wiki/Julien_B%C3%A9rard "Julien Bérard") of ,  rider [Tomasz Marczyński](/wiki/Tomasz_Marczy%C5%84ski "Tomasz Marczyński") and Miguel Mínguez () – went clear after  of the day's running. By the midpoint of the stage, the lead quartet held a lead of over eleven minutes after the peloton elected not to chase them down at first.

[thumb\|[Domenico Pozzovivo](/wiki/Domenico_Pozzovivo "Domenico Pozzovivo") attacked with  to go, ultimately winning his first Giro stage by 23 seconds, ahead of his closest challenger, [Beñat Intxausti](/wiki/Be%C3%B1at_Intxausti "Beñat Intxausti").](/wiki/File:13_may_2012_giro_d_italia_Domenico_Pozzovivo.jpg "13 may 2012 giro d italia Domenico Pozzovivo.jpg")
Amador and Marczyński went clear of their companions, after their advantage had been reduced to four minutes by the time of the intermediate sprint with around  to go in [San Giorgio del Sannio](/wiki/San_Giorgio_del_Sannio "San Giorgio del Sannio"). With ,  and  driving the pace on the front of the peloton, the advantage that Amador and Marczyński was reduced steadily, and they were caught with  remaining. 's pace, mainly driven by [Amstel Gold Race](/wiki/2012_Amstel_Gold_Race "2012 Amstel Gold Race") winner [Enrico Gasparotto](/wiki/Enrico_Gasparotto "Enrico Gasparotto") put numerous riders in trouble, including stage six winner [Miguel Ángel Rubiano](/wiki/Miguel_%C3%81ngel_Rubiano "Miguel Ángel Rubiano") (), but after Gasparotto pulled off, it was left to  and  to set the tempo on the *Colle Molella*. At  to go, [Giro del Trentino](/wiki/2012_Giro_del_Trentino "2012 Giro del Trentino") winner [Domenico Pozzovivo](/wiki/Domenico_Pozzovivo "Domenico Pozzovivo") attacked, and quickly gained a 30\-second gap before any movement was made in the peloton, when [Beñat Intxausti](/wiki/Be%C3%B1at_Intxausti "Beñat Intxausti") () attempted to follow him; he could not catch him, as Pozzovivo held on to win his first Giro stage by 23 seconds. Intxausti managed to hold on to second place, with a small group being led home by third\-placed [Joaquim Rodríguez](/wiki/Joaquim_Rodr%C3%ADguez "Joaquim Rodríguez") of , four seconds further back. [Ryder Hesjedal](/wiki/Ryder_Hesjedal "Ryder Hesjedal") maintained the *maglia rosa*, with Rodríguez moving ahead of [Paolo Tiralongo](/wiki/Paolo_Tiralongo "Paolo Tiralongo") into second place – nine seconds behind Hesjedal – while Intxausti and Pozzovivo moved into fifth and thirteenth in the overall classification respectively.

| **Stage 8 result**  |  | Rider | Team | Time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 |  |  |  | | 2 |  |  | \+ 23" | | 3 |  |  | \+ 27" | | 4 |  |  | \+ 27" | | 5 |  |  | \+ 27" | | 6 |  |  | \+ 27" | | 7 |  |  | \+ 27" | | 8 |  |  | \+ 27" | | 9 |  |  | \+ 27" | | 10 |  |  | \+ 27" | |  | **General classification after stage 8**  |  | Rider | Team | Time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 |  [20px\|Pink jersey](/wiki/File:Jersey_pink.svg "Jersey pink.svg") |  |  | | 2 |  |  | \+ 9" | | 3 |  |  | \+ 15" | | 4 |  |  | \+ 35" | | 5 |  |  | \+ 35" | | 6 |  |  | \+ 40" | | 7 |  [20px\|White jersey](/wiki/File:Jersey_white.svg "Jersey white.svg") |  | \+ 45" | | 8 |  |  | \+ 46" | | 9 |  |  | \+ 48" | | 10 |  |  | \+ 52" | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |


How many riders were within a minute of Ryder Hesjedal after stage 8?