Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, July 13, 2025

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance. - Confucius

---

Les Woodland's book Cycling's World Championships: The Inside Story is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• July 5 - 27: Tour de France
• July 9 - 13: Tour of Austria

Upcoming racing:

• August 2: San Sebastian Classic

Latest completed racing:

• June 21 - 29: Most national road championships
• June 24: Giro dell'Appennino
• June 15 - 22: Tour de Suisse
• June 18 - 22: Baloise Belgium Tour
• June 8 - 15: Critérium du Dauphiné
• June 13: GP Kanton Aargau
• June 8: Brussels Cycling Classic
• May 9 - June 1: Giro d'Italia

---

Tour de France stage eight reports

We posted the race organizer's report with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Jonathan Milan's Team Lidl-Trek:

After an 113 stage drought, an Italian rider once again tastes victory at the Tour de France. Jonathan Milan, who has made a name as one of the fastest sprinters in the world since he joined Lidl-Trek 18 months ago, took the spoils ahead of Wout van Aert in a tricky bunch sprint in Laval.

At the Tour, nothing comes easily. After the bitter disappointment of missing the chance to sprint for the win and Yellow Jersey on the opening stage, Milan remained undettered. If anything, hungrier for the victory with each disappointment. The third stage saw him edged out by Merlier by a tire-width, but Lidl-Trek, its riders, and above all, Milan himself, remained steadfast in their belief that a Tour de France stage win would come.

Jonathan Milan wins stage eight. Sirotti photo

A pan-flat parcours presented about as much of a nailed-on sprint stage as possible. The intermediate sprint – this time with all 20 points up for grabs – gave a taste of what was to come: Jonny taking the spoils. The remainder of the stage proved uneventful until the sprint trains geared up for the charge to the line. The breakaway was absorbed with 10km remaining, leaving the sprinters to jostle for position.

The chaotic run-in to the finish of stage 8 meant the normally-regimented leadout trains were more jumbled than normal, but nevertheless Lidl-Trek managed to position Milan at the head of affairs. First, a big effort by Jasper Stuyven to take Jonny from mid-pack to the front, before Simone Consonni, and Stuyven again gave their last watts to set Milan on the path to victory. The Italian still had a bit to do himself before he could launch the sprint, and he picked the wheel of Mathieu van der Poel to pull him towards the line. From there, Milan hit the gas, his trademark sprint style front and center, and none could even attempt to come around him.

“Yeah, you know, I think I didn’t still understand what we did. To come with some expectations and some dreams to bring home. Then, you know, to [achieve] them and to bring them home is, they’re two different things, but I was confident with the team and we were really close in the last stage. I mean, not in the first one, but in the third one, we were pretty close to the victory. We know that we just went a bit too early, but today, we were really focused.

"We were really believing in it. My guys did an amazing job until the final. It was a really tough final, I have to say, a bit stressful, but I was not expecting that it was dragging up so much the last kilometer, kilometer and a half. I knew that I had to wait as long as I could, but yeah, I like this kind of finals. I was really, really happy for the work that we did. We really deserve it.

"The third stage we were there, it was just a little movement that let me lose the stage. But, I knew that with this team, with their experience, how they know how to guide me, how to bring me in the best position, that we could have soon a good result, so this morning we really all started super motivated for this stage.

"It was really, I have to say, a tough final to stay all together. But, you know, all in all, my teammates, they worked really well. This formula during the race and in the last few minutes was always this kind of, let’s call it, washing machine. My teammates, they really guided me in a perfect way. They really gave the best of themselves to guide me. And, yeah, I just had to sprint and I really have to say thanks to them for this.”

Here's the Tour stage eight report from 5th-place Arnaud De Lie's Team Lotto:

A boost for the Lotto Cycling Team, as Arnaud De Lie sprinted to an impressive fifth place in stage 8 of the Tour de France in Laval. "Finally, I was able to give it my all again."

The slightly uphill finish in Laval suited Arnaud De Lie perfectly, and he seized the opportunity with both hands in today's eighth stage, which started in Saint-Méen-le-Grand. De Lie managed to join the sprint and finished a strong fifth. "If I compare the Arnaud De Lie from the stage in Dunkirk to the one from today, I see a big difference," said a happy De Lie afterwards. "I was too nice back then. That wasn't the case now. I initially didn’t have any space. A pure sprinter would have pushed through, but I held back a bit. ‘Braking’ is a strong word, but I did stop pedaling, which made me lose some speed and a few positions. But then I saw the 500-meter sign and went for it. I came back quickly to the front, although the bird had already flown by then."

The peloton with five kilometers to go.

De Lie’s fifth place is a boost for the Lotto Cycling Team, in a Tour that hasn’t gone smoothly so far. Earlier this week, the team saw Jasper De Buyst leave for home due to illness. Lennert Van Eetvelt is still recovering from a crash at the start of the Tour, and De Lie himself also fell, luckily without serious consequences.

For Arnaud De Lie personally, it’s also a weight off his shoulders. "I'm glad I was able to give it my all again," he said. "The past few days I felt stuck, but today I finally felt that my legs were better than on any of the other days in this Tour. I'm really happy. Of course, we always want more, but for my confidence and that of my teammates, this is a good sign."

Here's the Tour de France report from Wout van Aert's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Wout van Aert finished second in stage eight of the Tour de France. In the streets of Laval, the Belgian rider contested the bunch sprint. He only had to trail Jonathan Milan.

In another day of warm conditions, the peloton set off for a 170-kilometre stage from Saint-Méen-le-Grand to Laval. Compared to the previous stages, there was significantly less climbing on the menu - offering the sprinters another opportunity. 

No rider showed any real intention to attack during the first half of the stage. The first notable move came only after 100 kilometres, with an attack from Mattéo Vercher and Mathieu Burgaudeau. The French duo from Team TotalEnergies were reeled in with ten kilometres to go. 

In a tense finale, Jonas Vingegaard and Matteo Jorgenson managed to stay out of trouble. Van Aert opted to go for the sprint. The 30-year-old from Team Visma | Lease a Bike started the final kilometre in a strong position and had a strong acceleration left in the legs, but in the end, had to settle for second behind green jersey holder Milan. 

Jonas Vingegaard headed to the start. Sirotti photo

“It was a tough but fair sprint”, Van Aert said afterward. “I felt good again today and decided to go all in for the sprint. The run-in to the final straight was chaotic. There weren’t any well-formed sprint trains, so everyone had to find their own way through. I tried to surprise Milan by going early, but he was simply the fastest today. I’m definitely happy with second place. It was also nice to show myself in a sprint again.” 

Head of Racing Grischa Niermann looked back on a smooth day for the team. “In terms of effort, it wasn’t a particularly demanding stage, but there was still some nervous energy in the bunch. The main thing is always to get through the day unscathed – and thankfully, that was the case again. Wout rode a great sprint at the end, but Milan proved unbeatable today. I’m pleased with how the guys performed.”

And here's the Tour report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:

The Tour de France returned to Laval – where current Soudal Quick-Step sports director won a bunch sprint in 1999 – but the outcome was different this time, as Tim Merlier couldn’t contest the uphill bunch sprint in the charming city located in the Pays de la Loire region.

Completely flat, with the exception of a small classified climb in the final part, the stage was a quiet one, animated by a late two-man breakaway that took off around 60 kilometers from the line and remained off the front until the closing ten kilometers. Tim Merlier started the day as one of the main favourites, especially after his win on the third stage, but the European Champion’s plans were derailed by a mechanical with 12 kilometers to go, which required him to change the bike.

Remco Evenepoel heads to the start. Sirotti photo

Merlier had to chase hard in order to come back to the peloton, and that effort took its toll as the speed increased in the bunch on the uphill finish in Laval. The Belgian couldn’t contest the sprint, won by Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and came home a couple of seconds later. His Soudal Quick-Step teammate Remco Evenepoel concluded with the group and kept hold of the white jersey, at the same time, remaining in second place overall.

And here's the Tour de France report from Team Groupama-FDJ:

Caught in a crash at the finish in Dunkirk, Paul Penhoët had high expectations for the eighth stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, with a slightly uphill finish in Laval. Unfortunately, the young French sprinter suffered another blow as a puncture just ten kilometers from the finish prevented him from competing in the sprint. Lewis Askey stepped up to take his place and finished thirteenth. Revenge tomorrow in Châteauroux.

Team Groupama-FDJ before the stage start. Sirotti photo

After several days for the punchers, a 100% sprint weekend was looming on the Tour de France. It all began this Saturday with a 171-kilometre eighth stage to Laval, on a route without any difficulties. For that reason, no one was eager to get into the battle right away, and the peloton remained compact and rode at a relatively moderate pace for nearly 100 kilometres. “We can’t say these are rest days, but they are quiet days,” said Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet. “It must be said that the profile wasn’t ideal for major attacks.” “You can’t talk about recovery on a Tour stage, even if it’s a quiet one, because you’re still doing 180 kilometres, some hours on the saddle, and you still have to push,” added Benoît Vaugrenard. “That said, the pace of the peloton did everyone good today, especially those who crashed yesterday, like Guillaume, or those who gave a lot, like Romain.” Following the intermediate sprint, which took place around the halfway point, two riders finally broke away and held their own against the peloton until ten kilometres from the finish line.

At this very moment, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team’s day took an unexpected turn after its home sprinter, Paul Penhoët, suffered a flat tyre. “We got unlucky,” said Benoît. “From the moment Paul punctured, our chances were almost over. The final through Laval was too winding. It was impossible to catch up. He came back to the pack three kilometres from the finish, but it was already too late, and the pace was too fast.”

Also, the peloton broke up on the last false flats, and it was therefore Lewis Askey, with the great support of Cyril Barthe, who joined the sprint. The British rider finished thirteenth on the day, while Jonathan Milan took the victory. “We’re extremely disappointed because it was a finish that really suited Paul,” Benoît assured. “We knew winning would be hard, but we were aiming for a good result. We had a great plan, so we’re mostly disappointed tonight.” Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet, who finished in the first part of the peloton, moved up a position in the general classification this Saturday (19th, editor’s note).

On Sunday, the peloton will head to Châteauroux for another sprint, but a less demanding one.

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary