Tour de France 2026 Favourites stage 7: For fast men #2

fotobureau Cor VosWith no more than 850 metres of elevation gain over 175.1 kilometres, stage 8 is the flattest stage of the Tour de France. So yes, it's hard to see anything other than a bunch sprint in Bordeaux. (Slideshow route/profile)

First published on 25 June - last updated 10 July: weather forecast updated

The riders travel from Hagetmau, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, to Bordeaux. Along the way, the riders encounter just one small climb. It is crested with a little under 40 kilometres remaining, but even if the finish had been at the top, a sprint would still have been a realistic outcome. The Côte de Béguey is little more than a bump in the road: 1.2 kilometres at an average gradient of 4.4%.

Last year’s Tour de France featured four bunch sprints. Tim Merlier won two of them, while Jasper Philipsen and Jonathan Milan claimed one apiece. The Italian will not be on the start line this year.

Olav Kooij dominated the first bunch sprint of this year's Tour, finishing comfortably ahead of Max Kanter and Tim Merlier.

Favourites 7th stage - 2026 Tour de France

*** Tim Merlier, Jasper Philipsen, Olav Kooij
** Biniam Girmay, Max Kanter, Søren Wærenskjold
* Pascal Ackermann, Fernando Gaviria, Phil Bauhaus, Milan Fretin

Weather forecast:
The Tour de France continues to serve up hot conditions, although the riders can expect a little relief along the way as some light showers are forecast. However, it is likely to be no more than a bit of drizzle and is unlikely to have any impact on the race. Conditions are expected to stay dry at the finish, which is just as well with the expected bunch sprint in Bordeaux.

Start: 30°C, sunny, south-westerly wind (5 km/h)
Finish: 35°C, sunny with some clouds, south-westerly wind (9 km/h)

Another interesting read: route 7th stage 2026 Tour de France.