Giro d'Italia podium for Wiganer Matthew Holmes!

Fellow Briton Alex Dowsett soloed to victory after Simon Yates withdrew from the race following a positive test for coronavirus.

Dowsett was part of a six-man breakaway, also including Holmes - who hails from Orrell - that was allowed to go free on the 200-kilometre stage eight from Giovinazzo to Vieste.

And he rode away from his fellow escapees inside the final 20km as he used his time trialling skills to take victory by 75 seconds.

It gave the Israel Start-Up Nation rider his second career Giro stage win, seven years after his success on the stage eight time trial of the 2013 edition, and a first Grand Tour victory for his young team.

Israel Start-Up Nation may be signing Chris Froome next year, but Dowsett's own future is uncertain in the final months of his contract, making this victory all the more significant.

"It's been such a tough year," said Dowsett, who is due to become a father in the coming months.

"Just all the uncertainty and trying to work out how I'm going to get to next year and still be racing, still be doing what I love, and still being able to put food on the table for three of us rather than two come January.

"Hopefully this year will help secure something for next year."

Holmes was beaten to second place by Salvatore Puccio, while the peloton eventually rolled home almost 14 minutes behind, with Deceuninck-QuickStep's Joao Almeida retaining the pink jersey and his 43-second lead of Pello Bilbao of Bahrain-McLaren.

There was no change at the top of the overall classification, with the likes of Vincenzo Nibali, Jakob Fuglsang and Steven Kruijswijk still bunched up closely behind.