The stage had four thousand altitude metres. There was an immediate climb from the start and about 150 kilometres later, the finish was on top of the steep Colláu Fancuaya. A few kilometres from the top, Roglic rode away with, among others, Remco Evenepoel and Enric Mas. The three subsequently crossed the line together.

Roglic had a good day on the flanks of the climb, which featured slopes of up to twenty percent. "The legs felt better than they had a few days ago. The level in this Vuelta is very high, involving high-paced riding. My form is good. I was in a good group today with this Tour’s strongest riders. I am thrilled with how it went today. We are on the right track. I am getting better every day on this tour. A lot can still happen in the next two weeks”, Roglic said after the eighth stage.

"This is a scenario we were hoping for”, sports director Addy Engels said. "Primoz felt much better today after having a less successful day on Thursday. For the remainder of this Vuelta, that is encouraging. The level was very high. I think everyone rode on their limit, making it impossible to break away. We want to continue this upward trend in the coming week. Tomorrow there is another uphill finish. That is the terrain Primoz requires, just like the time trial the day after the rest day. Today's stage gives confidence for what's to come."