Tour de France Stage 8 Predictions: Milan can power to first Tour success

Having relinquished the lead in the general classification on stage six, it didn't take Tadej Pogacar long to be back in the yellow jersey as the world champion claimed a second stage win of this year's race atop the Mur-de-Bretagne on Friday.

Jonas Vingegaard was again the only rider who could go with the three-time Tour winner when he attacked with 150m to go, but the Dane fell further behind Pogacar due to the bonus seconds awarded on the line.

The GC action should settle down for a few days now with two sprint stages on the menu on Saturday and Sunday - although anything is on the table when Pogacar is in the mood. Read on for my Tour de France Stage 8 predictions.

The Route

After some punishing days in the saddle the peloton will be relieved that, on paper at least, this weekend's two stages should be much easier to control.

Both are fast and flat but the prospect of crosswinds could ratchet up the tension a notch.

There are few obstacles of note on stage eight from Saint-Meen-le-Grand to Laval Espace Mayenne bar a small fourth category climb 17 kilometres from the finish, although even that is unlikely to be tough enough to stop their being a sprint finish.

Tour de France Stage 8 Odds

Jonathan Milan to win Stage 8 @ 5/4

Three of the best sprinters on the planet were on the start line in Lille and one of those, Jasper Philipsen, claimed the first yellow jersey of this year's race with victory on stage one.

However, the Belgian's race came to a premature end following a crash two days later, when the other two premier fastmen, Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan, went wheel to wheel in Dunkirk.

Merlier claimed a narrow victory right on the line on the Normandy and the pair's head-to-head battle between the two could be reignited on Saturday.

European champion Merlier has prioritised challenging for stage wins over getting involved in the green-jersey fight, but the intermediates sprints have at least highlighted Milan's superiority over all the other sprinters still standing.

Flat stage finishes offer the most reward in the points classification, a target of Milan, and there is a chance he could turn the tables on the Belgian this time.

Milan committed earlier than ideal on stage three so to be only pipped on the line shows that he is in excellent shape, and a first Tour stage win may be forthcoming in Laval.

Soren Waerenskjold each-way @ 33/1

It's wide open in the sprinting ranks behind Merlier and Milan now Philipsen is out of the race, and Norway's Soren Waerenskjold has shown already he is one of the best of the rest.

Third behind Philipsen on stage one and fourth to Merlier two days later, Waerenskjold must fancy his chances of capitalising should the big two not be in the final reckoning for any reason.

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