Tour de France 2025 Stage 8 LIVE - Another fast, flat stage sets up Jonathan Milan and Tim Merlier rematch

I'm actually with him on this. A longer attack might not have worked and would have cost Pogacar more. A short one secures the stage plus bonuses and minimizes the expenditure.

Which is perhaps an unfair way to describe it, but there were real gaps on the Mur de Bretagne. No-one failed to lose time on Tadej Pogacar, although Jonas Vingegaard was the only one for whom that time came from bonuses alone. Oscar Onley, by finishing third, gained four seconds on everyone except those two, while the remaining four in that group dropped two plus ten.

They include podium placed Remco Evenepoel, and Kevin Vauquelin. Florian Lipowitz and Primoz Roglic were both in the 21 second group, while Enric Mas crossed the line 51 seconds down.

Both Yates' were over two minutes back, with Ben O'Connor nearer three minutes and well out of it now. Most disappointed will have been Joao Almeida who, while he has started this morning, does so with a broken rib. He just about made it to the finish yesterday, but over ten minutes back.

As Intemarche-Wanty drag the race along, through a corridor of fans lining the roadside. The average speed so far is 40kph, which is a bit quicker than on Monday.

Involved in that late crash yesterday, this is not entirely unexpected but it is very disappointing.

Axel Laurence appears at the front but it seems the local rider has just come out to wave at his public. Glorious.

Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X) chatting with some of the chiefs, perhaps inquiring as to what they will be allowed today if they were to go for a wander. Still no indication that anyone actually will.

Start given, by master of ceremonies Christian Prudhomme and.... none of them fancy it. For crying out loud.

Currently 29 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. It's all about hydration and cooling today. I don't think wind, at 7mph, is going to be a worry.

Tadej Pogacar in yellow, Tim Wellens in polka dots, Remco Evenepoel in white, and Jonathan Milan wearing green on behalf of Tadej Pogacar. And away they go for the neutral roll-out.

For my sake, more than yours, I hope so. It didn't used to be a question, even on a stage like this one. The sacrificial lambs could practically be named in advance. The farmer's son from Brittany, the lanky Dutch fella who's just delighted to be at the Tour and is going to enjoy every minute of the chance, apart from the miserable ones spent flogging himself. Which is to say, most of them. We'd get a few more, most likely from Cofidis. I'm not sure who their equivalents are anymore, or even if they exist.

On Monday they didn't, and we were treated to hours of northern French countryside before all hell broke loose. Don't take that cynicism to mean I don't love the Tour de France. With every cell of my being I do. I'm just glad to be here too.

An easterly course out of Brittany, circumventing Rennes - presumably they didn't fancy hosting this year - and finishing in the Loire town of Laval.

Still 1700m of climbing, which is I think is roughly what the original Ride London 100 run around Surrey used to be.

Good afternoon and welcome to live text coverage of Stage 8 of the men’s Tour de France 2025. After three in a row that have seen the maillot jaune switch back and forth between Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, today is all about the fight for green. Unless crosswinds conspire to wreak havoc on the road to Mayenne, we should be in for another head-to-head between the two biggest hitters of this year's Tour de France, Jonathan Milan and Tim Merlier. The false flat finish may just favour the Italian stallion who would love to take his first stage win wearing incredible hulk green.