Emmanuel Langellier, media365: published on Sunday July 13, 2025 at 8:52 am
The race director of the Tour de France, Thierry Gouvenou, explained why the event continues two steps of sprint this weekend.
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On Saturday, the 8th stage of the Tour de France, disputed over 171.4 kilometers between Saint-Méen-le-Grand and Laval, was not led by Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Mathieu Van der Poel or Kévin Vauquelin. 3rd in the general classification, the Frenchman did not illustrate himself on the contrary of his compatriots Mattéo Vercher and Mathieu Burgaudeau who escaped together before being resumed 10 kilometers from the finish. Two elected elements elected combative runners of the day, one first since 2016. And, as was expected, the stage settled in the sprint. Jonathan Milan was the strongest on the finish line in Mayenne. Will the Italian do this on Sunday? It is very possible. In any case, we will still see the victory of a sprinter, except for the drama, at Châteuroux, a term of a route from Chinon (174.1 km).
Gouvenou: “The vagaries of French topography”
Viewers perhaps taste little to attend two stages ending in the Sprint during the weekend. The racing director of the Grande Boucle, who had denounced the smoke bombs present by the roads during the first days, justified. “It may not be ideal to offer steps of sprinters on weekends but afterwards, they are the vagaries of French topography,” explained Thierry Gouvenou. We want to join the Massif Central and between Brittany and the Massif Central, there is no coast. It was not going to take a leap from a plane to avoid these regions. “While Tadej Pogacar, the big favorite this year, has already won a 2nd victory on Friday and that the mountain is not yet there, Gouvenou stressed that” the objective is not to do 21 super hard stages. There are times when you have to lower the pressure, maybe a little slow down. These two steps will certainly be welcome in the peloton, which is starting to be very tired. »»
No rest Monday
Last year, the former runner had pointed out these plain stages in which the platoon’s behavior is more and more stereotypical. “I had traced a first week with fewer massive arrivals because these are the most complicated steps. Often, nothing is happening and they are very monotonous, and on arrival there are large falls, often because of the behavior of runners, ”slipped Thierry Gouvenou. On Monday, it is normally day of rest, but this year, it is falling on July 14 so the runners still in the race will be entitled to a stage on this day of French national holiday. It will be an accident and complicated step in the Auvergne Volcanoes Natural Park.