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: 29 June

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.