Martin Lange with AFP / Photo credit: MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP
modified to
6:14 p.m., July 08, 2023
Dane Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) won the 8th stage of the Tour de France in the sprint on Saturday in Limoges, marked by the abandonment of a fall by Mark Cavendish. Another Dane, Jonas Vingegaard, retains the yellow jersey on the eve of the highly anticipated summit finish at Puy de Dôme, which is returning to the Tour after 35 years of absence. In the home straight uphill, Pedersen, 2019 world champion, resisted the return of Belgians Jasper Philipsen and Wout Van Aert, whom he beat in that order. This is the second victory in the Tour de France for the 27-year-old Dane after that won last year in Saint-Etienne.
By winning in force, he broke Philipsen’s series which remained on three victories in three sprints on this Tour. “The last meters were painful, I was not far from sitting down,” commented the winner. The 8th stage, run in very hot weather, was marked by the abandonment of Briton Mark Cavendish, who was aiming to beat the record for stage victories in the Tour de France that he holds with Eddy Merckx (34 successes every two). For his last Tour, the sprinter from the Isle of Man, 38, fell in the middle of the peloton about sixty kilometers from the finish. Holding his right shoulder, the Astana runner climbed into the ambulance with tears in his eyes. “It’s very sad that a legend like him ends like this,” reacted Pedersen.
The main information:
8th stage of the Tour de France this Saturday
Mark Cavendish abandoned the Tour de France this Saturday after a fall
The route will connect Libourne to Limoge
A flat stage that will again give pride of place to sprinters
On Friday, Jasper Philipsen took his third stage victory in Bordeaux
Dane Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) won the 8th stage of the Tour de France in the sprint on Saturday in Limoges
Abandonment of Cavendish for his last participation
Britain’s Mark Cavendish, who was aiming to break the record for Tour de France stage wins he holds with Eddy Merckx, retired after a crash on Saturday, organizers said. The Isle of Man sprinter, 38, fell in the middle of the peloton about sixty kilometers from the finish. Holding his right shoulder, the Astana runner climbed into the ambulance with tears in his eyes. Voted by most of his peers as the greatest sprinter of all time, Cavendish took to the ground on a flat and seemingly safe stretch. A paradox for the “Manxman” who has faced so many dangers during his career in high-speed sprints.
Unless he changes his mind, the Briton will not return to the Tour de France since he announced during the last Giro that he was going to stop his career at the end of the season. His counter of victories on the Grande Boucle will therefore remain forever blocked at 34 successes, as much as Eddy Merckx, the greatest of all time, also winner of five Tours de France. The day before in Bordeaux, Cavendish was very close to breaking the record by going on the attack a few dozen meters from the line, before being caught by the Belgian Jasper Philipsen and finishing second in the stage. The man with 162 victories then spoke of a “huge disappointment”, while promising to “try again” on Saturday during a stage which could still end in a sprint in Limoges.
Very smiling at the start on Saturday in Libourne, he once again confided his desire to write history on the biggest cycling race in the world. But his dream was shattered at kilometer 140.
Step Eight
On the eve of the finish at Puy de Dôme, the eighth stage on Saturday between Libourne and Limoges still seems promised to the sprinters unless punchers like Mathieu van der Poel take advantage of the uphill finish to score. “The final in Limousin is more hilly than Friday’s stage arriving in Bordeaux (won by Jasper Philipsen). It will be a little more complicated for the sprinters and above all the finish is over the last 600 meters with percentages at 4-5%”, explains Thierry Gouvenou, the tracer of the Tour de France, to AFP. “It will take power and a rider like Mathieu van der Poel will find himself more on that than on a pure sprint. Especially since the final will have worn out all the riders with all these hills in the Limousin”, adds the technical director of the Big Loop.
Bryan Coquard, among the favorites
Departing from Libourne, this eighth stage, 200.7 km long, presents a succession of climbs in the last part, including that of Condat-sur-Vienne (1.2 km at 5.4%) which could serve as a ramp of launches to the most daring, nine kilometers from the finish. on Bryan Coquard. The French sprinter from the Cofidis team, who is still chasing after a victory in the Grande Boucle and loves uphill sprints, will still be one of the favorites for the win on Saturday.