Giro d’Italia Stage 8 Picks and Odds – Oct. 10th
- Stage 8 of the Giro (Saturday, October 10) is variable and that means there are many contenders for daily honors
- Saturday’s stage has a bit of everything: flat, hills, and a circuit finish
- See odds, analysis, and best bets for Stage 8 at the Giro d’Italia below
Arnaud Démare is dominating the Giro d’Italia. He took his third stage on Friday and left no doubt who the top sprinter in this year’s event is.
Démare was the favorite for the first time in Stage 7. He held off Peter Sagan, and there was mild controversy since Démare momentarily blocked Sagan in the last gasp for the finish. Démare has another opportunity on Saturday. Stage 8 is fun because it has a lot of elements and will reward riders who can both do a variety of things and are strategic.
Betting on Saturday’s winner should be worthwhile because you can easily argue for Démare, but there are longshots with real chances too. Let’s review the odds and consider the best betting options.
Giro d’Italia Stage 8 Odds
| Rider | Odds |
|---|---|
| Arnaud Demare | +400 |
| Peter Sagan | +400 |
| Michael Matthews | +600 |
| Diego Ulissi | +650 |
| Davide Ballerini | +1000 |
| Thomas De Gendt | +1600 |
| Fabio Felline | +1800 |
| Andrea Vendrame | +1800 |
| Simon Clarke | +2800 |
| Davide Cimolai | +3300 |
| Ben Swift | +3300 |
| Valerio Conti | +6600 |
Odds taken Oct. 9 at Bet365
As expected Friday’s sprint had no impact on the overall standings. João Almeida continues to own a 43-second lead over Pello Bilbao. Wilco Kelderman is 48 ticks behind the leader. Three riders, Harm Vanhoucke, Vincenzo Nibali, and Domenico Pozzovivo are right around a minute behind Almeida.
Stage 8 is a 200 kilometers journey from Giovinazzo to Vieste. It begins very flat, transitions to hills, and concludes with a circuit that includes a very short but significantly steep climb. The major descent leads to a false flat with the finish line just two kilometers later.
So who will emerge from this unique set-up with a win in their pocket?
The Favorite
Should anyone doubt Démare at this point? There have been three flat stages and he has won each of them. Though each probably profiled to be conducive for top sprinters, they have varied from totally flat, to having some nuance to them. He has proven to be able to navigate whatever the course brings so long as it has a flat end.
While Démare is riding great, there is more climbing to this stage than his prior victories. He will need to decide where to make his move? Breakaways and attacks are likely on the course. Does he wait and hope the peloton is close late, or make a move at some earlier point?
Top Contenders
If in fact, a sprint finish takes the day, the usual suspects will be factors. In addition to Démare, Sagan, Michael Matthews, and Diego Ulissi should be coming in hard.
Sagan has had a terribly disappointing 2020. After winning the points classification at the Tour de France seven times, and taking 12 individual stages, he was shut out this year. Things haven’t gone any better in Italy.
Matthews was third on Friday and has won stages on each grand tour. While he won the Bretagne Classic this year, he hasn’t taken a grand tour stage since 2017.
Ulissi won the hilly second stage of this year’s event. It was his seventh Giro d’Italia stage victory.
Ulissi’s versatility could come in handy on Saturday.
Longshot
For six stages last year Valerio Conti wore the pink jersey. While he has won just a single grand tour stage, he is in good form.
Conti took the Trofeo Matteotti this year and it was a partly hilly stage like this where he captured a day on the Vuelta a España in 2016. His price is very tempting.
Dave Friedman has covered professional and college sports for two decades. From ESPN to the Associated Press, Regional Sports Networks, Metro Networks, and many local outlets, he has written about and broadcast major and minor events throughout the country.
