Luke Plapp Seizes Breakaway Glory with First Grand Tour Stage Win at the Giro d’Italia

Emotional Day for Aussie Star as He Conquers Stage 8 of the Giro with a Bold Solo Attack

There are days in cycling when everything just clicks. Legs feel good, the timing is right, and the road seems to lift you rather than drag you down. For Luke Plapp, that day came on Stage 8 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia, and it was worth the wait.

The 24-year-old Australian, riding for Team Jayco AlUla, pulled off the biggest result of his professional career by soloing to victory after a daring long-range move from the breakaway. It marked his first Grand Tour stage win, and you could see from the moment he crossed the finish line just how much it meant.

“I still can’t believe it, to be honest,” said a stunned but beaming Plapp after the stage. “It’s been a long time coming. I always go well in the Aussie summer, but I’ve never quite nailed it in Europe—until today.”

The Move That Made the Race

Plapp claims first Grand Tour stage win at Giro

Stage 8, a 197km test from Giulianova to Castelraimondo, was billed as a day for the opportunists. With its undulating terrain and no massive climbs, it was always likely to favour a breakaway. Plapp made sure he was in it, and once he was there, he never looked back.

The decisive moment came with around 40 kilometres to go, when the Australian launched a solo attack from the breakaway group. It was bold. Some might say reckless. But as it turned out, it was also brilliant. With each kilometre, Plapp stretched his lead and rode with the determination of a man possessed.

“I kind of knew I couldn’t win it in a sprint,” Plapp later joked. “So I figured I’d just go early and hope for the best.”

Hope worked wonders. He crossed the line 38 seconds ahead of Dutchman Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike), with Diego Ulissi (XDS-Astana) claiming third—good enough to move into the maglia rosa as the new overall race leader.

Ulissi in Pink as Roglic Drops to Third

For Italian fans, the end of the stage brought even more reason to celebrate. With his third-place finish, Ulissi became the first Italian rider to lead the Giro d’Italia since 2021, taking the pink jersey from defending champion Primoz Roglic.

The Tuscan veteran now holds a 12-second lead over teammate Lorenzo Fortunato, with Roglic slipping to third, 17 seconds off the pace. Ulissi will wear the leader’s jersey with pride as the race heads into his home region on Sunday, with a picturesque 181km route from Gubbio to Siena.

“It’s a dream to wear the maglia rosa, especially here in Italy and with the Giro coming through my home region,” said Ulissi. “We’ve got a strong team and we’ll fight to keep it.”

A Win for the Dreamers

Plapp’s victory is the kind that cycling fans love—a reminder that guts and timing can beat pedigree and palmarès on the right day. He may have had no previous wins in a European WorldTour race, but his pedigree was never in doubt. A multiple-time Australian national time trial champion, Plapp had flirted with Giro stage wins in the past. In 2023, he came heartbreakingly close more than once, but the elusive victory kept slipping through his fingers.

That’s why Saturday’s win hit differently. This time, he finished the job—and with style.

“This is a day I’ll never forget,” said Plapp. “The support from the team, the belief they showed in me—it’s just incredible. And to do it at the Giro, one of the biggest races in the world, it’s just so special.”

Where Things Stand After Stage 8

With eight stages now completed, the general classification is beginning to take shape. Ulissi holds the lead, followed closely by Fortunato and Roglic. Spaniard Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) sits fourth at 20 seconds back, while Mexico’s Isaac del Toro—one of the rising stars of this Giro—is just six seconds further adrift.

Among the British riders, Max Poole continues to impress, sitting seventh overall at 47 seconds down. Simon Yates, who’s been keeping a low profile so far, is tenth, just under a minute off the pink jersey.

Here’s how the top 10 looks:

General Classification after Stage 8

1. Diego Ulissi (Ita/XDS-Astana) – 29h 21m 23s

2. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita/XDS-Astana) +12s

3. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) +17s

4. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +20s

5. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +26s

6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita/Bahrain Victorious) +44s

7. Max Poole (GB/Team Picnic PostNL) +47s

8. Michael Storer (Aus/Tudor Pro Cycling) +50s

9. Brandon McNulty (USA/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +51s

10. Simon Yates (GB/Visma-Lease a Bike) +56s

What’s Next at the Giro?

The Giro d’Italia now rolls into its second week, and there’s a lot more racing to come. Sunday’s stage to Siena features classic Tuscan roads, with some gravel sectors to spice things up—a nod to the Strade Bianche. It’s unlikely to shake up the GC too much, but it’s the kind of day that could favour another brave breakaway, just like Plapp’s.

And as we’ve seen, you don’t need to be a favourite to become a hero. Just ask Luke Plapp.

As the peloton makes its way toward the grand finale in Rome on 1 June, riders and fans alike will remember Stage 8 as the day an Aussie underdog lit up the Giro with a ride straight out of the fairytales.

Not bad for a guy who just didn’t fancy his chances in a sprint.