Stage 8 | Molfetta to Peschici | Giro d’Italia 2017

If the Giro d’Italia is a 21-course tasting menu, the first week has seen plate after plate of bread with olive oil. Today we were at least offered some meat and cheese. Tomorrow, at Blockhaus is the prima piatti.

Stage 8 of the Giro from Molfetta to the pretty coastal town of Peschici in Puglia was aggressive, anarchic and chaotic. A crash for Valerio Conti on a tight corner at the bottom of the final climb denied Italy a first stage win of the race. That honour went to Basque rider Gorka Izagirre of Movistar. The overall contenders remained mainly quiet, apart from Sky’s Mikel Landa.

Lionel Birnie and Daniel Friebe discuss the race and we hear from Landa and Sky’s boss Dave Brailsford about the Basque rider’s attack. We ask Ciro Scognamiglio about Italy’s week-long drought and hear from Wilier team manager Luca Scinto, who is not slow to vent his frustration.

And with the big climb at Blockhaus on Sunday, we talk to Thibaut Pinot and Bauke Mollema about what to expect.

The Cycling Podcast is supported by Rapha and Science in Sport.