Ben O'Connor has delivered another fine performance to boost his hopes of a podium finish at the Giro d'Italia - but the Australian was again just a bit player amid the unrelenting Tadej Pogacar supershow.
O'Connor tried to hang on for all he was worth on the summit finish of the eighth stage at Prato di Tivo on Saturday, but he could only finish third as Pogacar sprinted away to his third victory in the opening eight days of a race he's completely dominating.
In the toughest stage so far in the Apennines, with a 14km category-one ascent to finish, Pogacar looked as if he could have picked his moment even earlier to attack, but was happy to wait until well within the last kilometre to burst away, pursued in vain by Dani Martinez and O'Connor.
