The Belgian cyclist Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal) has been crowned in the eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia, of 153 kilometers with start and finish in Naples, by winning the tight sprint of a breakaway in which the Spanish Jorge Arcas (Movistar ) was third, while the also Spanish 'Juanpe' López (Trek-Segafredo) managed to retain the 'pink jersey'.

The always combative king of breakaways did his thing again on the demanding day in Neapolitan lands, in which he led the breakaway quartet after leaving behind a brave Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) and crowned at the finish line ahead of the Italian Davide Gabburo (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) and Arcas.

For his part, the Trek-Segafredo sweated to defend the lead of Juanpe Lopez, who continues with a 38-second lead over German Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe) and 58 over Estonian Rein Taaramäe (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert).

As soon as the day began, the attacks followed one another in the peloton in search of the first escape of the day. The Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), the first leader of the French round, launched alone but was soon caught by a group of 21 riders who began to push, leaving the group in the 'pink jersey' behind.

Juanpe López, from behind, suffered as he watched the peloton fall two minutes behind the breakaways in the first intermediate sprint at Lago Patria. The lead stabilized before the start of the breakaway at the Bacoli circuit, and only the German Jasha Sütterlin (Bahrain Victorious) gave up his call-up to help Mikel Landa and Pello Bilbao in the peloton.

On the third climb to Monte di Procida, with 46 kilometers to go, Van der Poel unleashed his attack and forced the breakaway to react, which was definitively broken by Thomas de Gent, Harm Vanhoucke (Lotto Soudal), Jorge Arcas (Movistar ) and Davide Gabburo (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) outstanding and with just over half a minute ahead with 15 kilometers to go.

Behind, the leader's jersey began to be in danger for Juanpe López after the German Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe) attacked the Spaniard to take away the privilege, although the one from Lebrija responded well.

At the head, the second group, with Van der Poel in the lead, tried to neutralize the front quartet, nine seconds ahead, but it was finally this one that played for the win, with De Gent taking the honor and Arcas finishing third.

The transalpine round will continue this Sunday with the arrival of the Apennines. With 5,000 meters of elevation gain, the runners will face 191 kilometers of high mountains between Isernia and Blockhaus, with the last 13 kilometers with slopes of up to 14%.