Giro d'Italia: Alex Dowsett claims potential career-saving stage win

Team Israel StartUp Nation rider Englands Alex Dowsett celebrates as he crosses the line for victory during the 8th stage of the Giro dItalia 2020 cycling race a 200kilometer route between Giovinazzo and Vieste on October 10 2020 Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images
Israel Start-Up Nation’s Alex Dowsett wins stage 8 of the 2020 Giro d’Italia (Image credit: Getty Images)

Wins have rarely been as timely as Saturday’s victory for Alex Dowsett on stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia as the British racer soloed to Israel Start-Up Nation’s biggest-ever triumph in the team’s seven-year history.

Without a team for 2021, and soon to be a father, Dowsett’s victory is also of massive personal significance, as the British rider seeks to continue his career in the WorldTour. A stage win in Italy’s Grand Tour, the second of his career, has undoubtedly placed the 32-year-old in the virtual ‘shop window’ for teams looking for riders.

Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.