Tour de France stage 8 preview - Jonathan Milan the man to beat on uphill sprint finish

After a punchy week, the peloton gets some respite over the weekend. On paper, this stage may look flat, but the terrain undulates from start to finish, racking up 1,605 metres of elevation gain. The final kilometre kicks up just enough to sting the legs.

Start: 13:25 (CET)
Estimated arrival: 17:04 (CET)
Elevation gain: 1605m

Follow every km of stage 8 with our live report.

This stage traverses Ille-et-Vilaine and Mayenne, featuring the region’s characteristic gently rolling roads with frequent subtle gradients. Cycling fans will definitely recognize these roads from the Boucles de Mayenne. 

The intermediate sprint comes 85.5 km from the line. 

In the finale, the riders have to tackle the only categorized climb of the day, around 16 kilometers from the finish. 

Côte de Nuillé-sur-Vicoin (1km at 4.6%)
4th category - 16.2km from the finish

The final 5 kilometers feature two short, gently rising kickers. They will play a key role in deciding the outcome of this stage.

Between 6.4 km and 3.8 km to go, the route follows the Mayenne River in quite a straight line.

After this turn at 3.8 km, the road rises for 500 meters at an average of 3.6%, leading into a U-turn at 2.9 km from the finish.

From there, the road descends slightly until the 2 km mark. The speed will be very high. Two roundabouts follow at 1.9 km and 1.5 km to go, the peloton will stretch out into a long single line.

The final 1.3km averages around 3%, but the first 500 meters are steeper, at roughly 4.5%. The last 800 meters continue false flat, setting the stage for a truly grueling sprint.

The final 400 meters are one long, sweeping turn toward the finish line. 

A scorching hot day with temperatures reaching up to 32°C. In the final 75 kilometers, there are plenty of exposed sections, and between the 75 km and 58 km marks, the wind comes from the side, but the wind speed is too low for echelons to form. If there had been a strong southwesterly wind, I think we would’ve seen a different finale.

A grueling sprint with a tailwind. If there’s one finish that suits Jonathan Milan perfectly, it’s this one. He's the big favorite for me. There are a few riders who’ll find a finish that suits them here. I just mentioned Alpecin: Van der Poel made it clear yesterday that they’ll ride for Kaden Groves, and I think the Australian is a strong podium contender. Having Van der Poel as a lead-out is a huge advantage. 

Biniam Girmay will also be in the mix, the uphill finish plays right into his cards.

This finish should suit Wout van Aert as well. I do think he’ll contest the sprint, it would feel good for him to finally get a result. A podium is definitely possible. I’m not sure who Picnic will pick, but I think this finish suits Lund Andresen better than Bittner. In my opinion, he should be given a chance.

The harder the pace in the final 1.3km, the smaller Tim Merlier’s chances of taking the stage win. And I see no reason why it wouldn’t be full gas through that section, Alpecin and Trek will do everything they can to make sure Merlier isn’t fresh in the final few hundred meters. His result will depend entirely on the pace in the finale. He could make the podium, but if he realizes he can’t win, he sometimes eases up near the end. We’ll see how it plays out. He’s in the form of his life, and if he wins, it will undoubtedly be the strongest sprint of his career.

If Meeus has recovered, he can definitely do this too, but he needs to be at 100%, which is still uncertain after his crash. They also have Van Poppel as an option in reserve.

Other riders to keep an eye on for this finish are Stewart, Van den Berg, and Coquard. And are we finally going to see another flash from the best De Lie?

The finish line is about 100 meters from where the first time trial in 2021 ended. Pogacar won there with an 18-second lead over Küng and 26 seconds over Vingegaard.