Revelation of the start of the season, the Irishman Ben Healy won the 8th stage of the Tour of Italy alone on Saturday in Fossombrone where Primoz Roglic went on the attack to regain 14 seconds from Remco Evenepoel.
The young 22-year-old runner, looking like a fine arts student, performed an impressive number like a Tadej Pogacar to complete a solo raid of more than 50 kilometers.
He was ahead on the line, with 1 min 49 sec in advance, three of his former breakaway companions, the Canadian Derek Gee, the Italian Filippo Zana and the French Warren Barguil.
More than four minutes behind the winner, Roglic did the right operation of the day by taking 14 seconds from Evenepoel, his great rival for the final victory, who fell for the first time in this Giro before the individual time trial of 35 km on Sunday.
The Slovenian went on the attack on the last ascent of the Cappuccini, followed by two riders from Ineos, the British Tao Geoghegan Hart and Geraint Thomas.
Evenepoel did not resist the acceleration and crossed the line with a small group of pursuers including the Portuguese Joao Almeida.
The Norwegian Andreas Leknessund managed to keep the leader’s pink jersey with an 8-second lead over Evenepoel and 38 over Roglic.
Ben Healy (EF Education) is the revelation of this start to the season after a remarkable Classics campaign with second places at the Flèche Brabançonne and the Amstel Gold Race and a fourth place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
It is the best victory of his young career for the Irishman with the goatee and shoulder-length hair who is taking part in a Grand Tour for the first time.
