Giro Stage 8: Siutsou wins classic day's racing marred by bad crash

Morbegno – Bergamo 209Km

Columbia's Kanstantsin Siutsou rode to a brave win today escaping with around 15Km to go at the bottom of the day's final big climb but he still had to negotiate a tight finish including a short climb, narrow streets and even a section of rough cobbles. At one point in the closing kilometres it looked like he might be caught, but the Belarussian gave it everything to keep them at bay.

Danilo Di Luca finished third with the main chasers some 20 seconds later, the pink jersey winner was sandwiched between two of Siutsou's teammates, Michael Rogers and yesterday's stage winner Edvald Boasson Hagen.

However a geat day's racing was overshadowed by a serious crash earlier in the stage on the descent of the first cat Culmine when Pedro Horrillo (Rabobank) crashed over the edge. He was found 60m down below the road in a ravine.

The Spanish rider was airlifted to hospital in Bergamo, where he was later reported to be in a serious condition in hospital he was said to be conscious and his injuries are reported not to be life threatening. The seriousness of the incident can be measured by the fact that race organisers requested that no celebratory music be played at the finish. The latest news on his condition is that he is suffering from serious head, leg and abdominal injuries.

The top 10 standings in the general clssification remain unchanged after today with Di Luca enjoying a 13 second advantage over Thomas Lövkvist whose Columbia teammate Michael Rogers is a further 44 seconds back. All in all today was a good one for the Columbia High Road men with Di Luca being forced into defending his slender grip on the maglia rosa while Lövkvist in particular looks comfortable and content to sit on his shoulder and wait for his chance. That said, the Italian cannot be underestimated particularly as he looks to have recaptured his form of 2007 when he won this race.

Lance Armstrong finished back in the pack and for the second day running the Astana riders rode in jerseys with the names of their non-paying sponsors faded out.

 Top 10 Giro d'Italia Stage 8
1 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Columbia-Highroad)
2 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Columbia-Highroad)
3 Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini)
4 Michael Rogers (Columbia-Highroad)
5 Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas)
6 Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo)
7 Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini)
8 Joaquím Rodríguez (Caisse d'Epargne)
9 Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-NGC)
10.Thomas Rohregger (Milram)

Top 10 General Classification after stage 8

1 Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini)
2 Thomas Lövkvist (Columbia-Highroad)
3 Michael Rogers (Columbia-Highroad)
4 Levi Leipheimer (Astana)
5 Denis Menchov (Rabobank)
6 Ivan Basso (Liquigas)
7 Carlos Sastre (Cervelo Test Team)
8 Christopher Horner (Astana) 9 Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas)
10 David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne)