Damiano Cunego had a solid ride in the eighth stage, showing that he's back to his best in finishing half a minute behind Ivan Basso on Maielletta. Cunego didn't have it all his own way, though, as he actually crashed a few kilometres before the final climb started, according to his team. Cunego was relatively uninjured, and he was still one of the best on the climb. His teammate Paolo Fornaciari also crashed towards the end of the stage, bruising his knee.
