Cycling: After the time trial, there will be a section for the breakaway riders tomorrow. Or will the teams of Mads Pedersen, Michael Matthews and Wout van Aert ensure a mass finish?
Up and down
The eighth stage of the Tour de France 2024 can be summed up with the words “very wavy” probably best described. On the 183,4 kilometer long route from Semur-en-Auxois to Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises it is almost only up and down. Overall, five mountain ratings to complete, two of which belong to the third category and three to the fourth. Due to the short climbs, it is not expected that the classification riders will attack each other. At the same time, the demanding waves will also ensure that the classic sprinters will have no chance.
Velomotion forecast: A day for Michael Matthews
Tomorrow's eighth stage of the Tour de France will show early on whether the breakaway group will have a chance of winning the day or not. If it consists of only a few riders, it is likely to be brought back. If professionals from certain teams are not there, it will also be brought back. The riders who will be keeping an eye on the day's victory are particularly likely to be Mads pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) and wout van aert (Visma – Lease a Bike). Due to the many ups and downs, they could distance themselves from the pure sprinters and even then fight for victory. But be careful: Even fast men, like Biniam Girmay (Intermarchè – Wanty), Arnaud de Lie (Lotto – Dstny) and Jasper Phillipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck) survive these short hills relatively well. The team bosses have a choice: do they send the riders in question into the breakaway group, or do they work in the main field all day to catch the breakaway riders? Both are conceivable.
* * * Michael Matthews (Jayco – AlUla)
** wout van aert (Visma – Lease a Bike), Magnus Court (Uno-X Mobility)
* Paul Lapeira (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Romain Gregory (Groupama – FDJ), Ben Healy (EF Education – EasyPost)