Milan Wins Tour Stage Eight After Bunch Sprint

Italy's Jonathan Milan won shape 8 of nan Tour de France pursuing a bunch sprint.

Lidl Trek's Milan hit Wout van Aert of Visma-Lease a Bike connected nan level 171.4km shape into Laval's Espace Mayenne.

Milan, 24, waited patiently successful nan wheels of Mathieu van der Poel and Kaden Groves, some of Alpecin-Deceuninck, successful nan last 200 metres earlier utilizing his immense powerfulness to motorboat himself towards nan statement - pinch only Van Aert capable to cling connected behind.

Australian Groves vanished third.

It was a quiet shape for nan contenders for nan wide leader's yellowish jersey, which was retained by defending champion Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who leads Belgium's Remco Evenepoel of Soudal-Quick Step by 54 seconds.

Slovenian Pogacar's main rival for yellow, alongside Evenepoel, is two-time victor Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, who presently sits 1 infinitesimal 17 seconds down successful 4th successful nan wide classification.

The conflict for nan greenish points jersey - usually won by a sprinter - now sees Milan taking complete nan lead pinch 192 points.

Pogacar is 2nd connected 156, aft nan 26-year-old's points occurrence successful his 2 shape victories truthful far.

Last year's greenish jersey victor Biniam Girmay of Eritrea is 3rd connected 124 points.

"I still don't understand what we did," said Milan afterwards. "There were expectations, dreams to bring it home.

"I was assured pinch nan team. It was a spot stressful - I knew I had to hold arsenic agelong arsenic I could. We really merit it."

After what was quiet stage, until nan sprint, successful 30C (86F) heat, prevention for a fewer crashes connected nan way, nan three-week title will yet statesman to move southbound pinch shape nine's level 174km sprint from Chinon to Chateauroux.

Chateauroux is unofficially known arsenic 'Cavendish City' aft Mark Cavendish's 3 wins location during his record-breaking profession successful which nan sprinter won 35 Tour de France stages - nan last 1 being past twelvemonth earlier retiring.

Stage 8 results

General classification aft shape eight