Laval, France, July 13, 2025 – The Europe Today: Italian cyclist Jonathan Milan claimed an impressive sprint victory in Stage 8 of the Tour de France on Saturday, executing a perfectly timed attack to overtake Australia’s Kaden Groves and edge out Belgium’s Wout van Aert in a dramatic photo finish.
Riding under intense summer sun, the peloton rolled out from Saint-Méen-le-Grand for a relatively calm 171-kilometer stage to Laval in western France. After Friday’s grueling effort, most teams opted for a slower pace, allowing French duo Mathieu Burgaudeau and Matteo Vercher to break away with 80 kilometers remaining.
However, as the finish neared and the possibility of a sprint win loomed, the main group increased the pace and reeled in the escapees with just nine kilometers to go. Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin–Deceuninck launched a lead-out for his teammate Groves, but the effort came slightly too early.
Sensing the moment, Milan surged forward on the left and resisted a strong late push from Van Aert to seal the stage win in 3 hours and 50 minutes.
Defending champion Tadej Pogačar stayed safely in the main pack, retaining his grip on the coveted yellow jersey. The Slovenian leads the general classification by 54 seconds over Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel, with Kévin Vauquelin of France in third at 1:11 and two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard close behind at 1:17.
Stage 9 of the Tour promises another chance for the sprinters, covering 158 kilometers through central France and concluding in Châteauroux.
