With all the work done in the first 7 stages - let alone in yesterdays 7th stage alone - this stage was destined to be be a long rest day, well rest for them as most all of us would be suffering. Don't get me wrong even on a day like this many would suffer, especially those recovering from crashes and working to heal up. Take it from me having have wrecked a few times and then raced - wounds don't do well under your cycling clothing.
It is amazing how quick these guys recover - some more quickly than others - and early on in the race seeing American Quinn Simmons up front shows his recovery level - he did let the front go near the end with his work done as he would need to be used on Stage 9 for much the same. He has been up front for most of this tour and while has not won any of the daily most combative rider awards he for sure should win the most combative overall if there was a reward for that. Used to be, as I think it is in the other tours - or was as well - based on who spent the most distance in the breakaway but is now used on being chosen by a jury.
Days like this is when it must be hard to commentate as they just have to fill the space with talk and when they show the race from the start that is a lot of filler. It is funny at times listening as there is a lot of chances for faux-pas and errors. Does seem Phil Liggett makes more and more but may just be he is getting up there in age. Then there is Bob Roll who often has to correct, as politely as he can, Phil but then he makes funny comments. He was talking about the noise from the crowds and said it could hurt your "ear balls" - did not know we had those:)
Gotta admit would be nice to have two sprints on these flat stages as with it being at near half way makes it less exciting to watch. But this is just a spectator comment as I am sure the riders would rather not have a sprint or have it early and then let a break go. With it being at half way no one was going to get away till at least at the sprint then they were not to get much leeway as the sprinters want this day. I will say this was far from slow since after about 70+K they were still averaging 28mph!!
Once at the intermediate sprint it was being set up for a sprint between Milan and Girmay but when it came down to it Milan was not challenged. Not sure what Girmay was doing but he only got 4th so not sure if missed the jump or not feeling it and saving it for the finish. But there is still a long way to the finish to rest up from this sprint so not sure. There were a few efforts to go after the sprint and Simmons covered them as it is clear they want this together for the final sprint. But it would not stop others from trying. A break of two riders from TotalEnergies did get a small gap of just under a minute with 55K to go.
Have to hand it to the break as with so little of a gap they kept it for a long time as with 13k to go they still had 25 seconds. Then at 12.6 one of the two dropped off but pretty clear this will not last long with now there only being 1 rider - would not last with two but with 1 even harder. In these last K's we were seeing sever crashes and one of the sprinters Tim Merlier, winner of Stage 3, off the back of the main peloton after an incident but got back on to a quick moving peloton. But others were dropping off as the speed ramps up.
When it came to the sprint it was clear it was going to be about the fast guys with Alpecin leading out Groves, Lidl-Trek Milan, Inter-Marche Girmay and it seemed Merlier finding his own way. Once the sprint started it was clear Milan was fastest but was great to see Wout Van Wert in there and getting second and Merlier in third - Girmay just did not have it and ended up 5th.
They now go back to get some rest before another sprint day on Stage 9 before some mountains on Stage 10. Pretty sure the sprinters will want it to stay together anther day as after tomorrow they only really have three more chances on Stages 11, 16 and the final on Stage 20 with lots of suffering in the gruppetto to come as the GC and climbers take over. I did notice that tomorrow on Stage 9 the Intermediate sprint point is at about 24.5K so early and after that they may let a break go but pretty sure Milan, Merlier, Groves and Girmay will want it together at the line to pick up the points there as much more than at the intermediate sprints.
Race Highlights:
- Winner - Jonathan Milan
- Yellow Jersey - Tadej Pogacar
- Green Jersey - Jonathan Milan
- Polkadot Jersey - Tim Wellens
- While Jersey - Remco Evenepoel
GC w/Time Gaps
1) Tadej Pogacar - +00:01
2) Remco Evenepoel - +00:54
3) Kevin Vauquelin - +01:11
4) Jonas Vingegaard - +01:17
5) Mathieu Van Der Poel - +01:29
6) Mateo Jorgensen - +01:34
7) Oscar Onley - +02:49
8) Florian Lipowitz - +03:02
9) Primoz Roglic - +03:06
10) Mattias Skjelmose - +03:43
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