Tour de France 2026 Favourites stage 8: For fast men #3

fotobureau Cor VosSprinters have to be patient during the opening week of the Tour de France, but then they suddenly get two opportunities on back-to-back days. It would take a major surprise for stage 8 not to end in a bunch sprint. (Slideshow route/profile)

First published on 25 June - last updated 11 July: weather forecast updated/small>

The route from Périgueux to Bergerac features just 1,150 metres of elevation gain. There are two category-4 climbs along the route, the last of which – 2.2 kilometres at 5.6% – is crested with 40 kilometres remaining. The remainder of the route is as flat as a pancake.

With 10 kilometres to go, the riders are already on the outskirts of Bergerac. Rather than heading straight into the town centre, however, they first loop around the southern side of town before approaching the finish from the opposite direction. The final 1.5 kilometres feature two right-angle bends, the last coming just under 500 metres from the line.

On paper, Olav Kooij, Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier are the strongest sprinters in this year's Tour. All three recently sharpened their form at the Baloise Belgium Tour, where they shared the spoils with one stage win each. Biniam Girmay also got on the scoresheet with a victory.

So far, it's Kooij 1, Merlier 1, Philipsen 0, Girmay 0 in this Tour. Who will take the spoils in Bergerac? The more technical finale sets this stage apart from those in Pau and Bordeaux, where Kooij and Merlier emerged victorious.

Favourites 8th stage - 2026 Tour de France

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

Weather forecast:
The Tour has been baking in the heat since the opening stage, and today promises more of the same. With barely a breath of wind, conditions look ideal for a straightforward bunch sprint.

Start: 36°C, sunny, westerly wind (5 km/h)
Finish: 37°C, sunny, southerly wind (8 km/h)

Another interesting read: route 8th stage 2026 Tour de France.