Domenico Pozzovio won the eighth stage of the Giro D'Italia this afternoon.
Stage eight was a tough test for the riders being 229km long from Sulmona to Lago Laceno, which started this morning without Bennati and van Winden.
Four riders in Andrey Amador (Movistar), Julien Berard (AG2R), Tomasz Marczynski (Vacansoleil) and Miguel Minguez (Euskaltel - Euskadi), broke with 39kms gone.
With 100kms to go, they were 9.30 ahead and Andrey Amador was now the leader on the road.
Julian Berard dropped off with 60kms to go, leaving the front three to battle it out, some 3.47 ahead of a peloton lead by Garmin and Astana.
The intermediate sprint came after 160kms and was won by Marczynski.
Minguez sat up and allowed the other two to take their lead up to five minutes whilst Mark Cavendish plodded along at the back, with Ian Stannard, knowing that there are other days more suited to him and that today for him was all about finishing before the cut off time.
Just before the finish at Lago Laceno was the climb to the Colle Molella. With the front two caught, Gasparotto went away.
Then Domenico Pozzovio attacked with 6kms to go and stayed away to win the stage in a time of 6.06.05. Benat Intxausti was second.
Ryder Hesjedal keeps his leaders jersey.