Tim Merlier sprinted to his second victory in this year’s Tour de France, on stage eight, from Périgueux to Bergerac. But it was cruel luck for Liam Slock, of the Lotto Intermarché team, whose 175km solo effort ended 1,300 metres from the finish line.
On a perfect stage for lovers of pale-stoned chateaux and crystalline swimming pools, the Tour leader, Tadej Pogacar, rode untroubled into Bergerac pondering the possibilities of adding to his growing tally of mid-summer murders. The Slovenian already appears to have killed off his rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard and with Mondaya rest day, will now be planning the strategy to ensure teammate, Isaac Del Toro, leapfrogs the Dane into second place.
Sunday’s hilly stage to Ussel, into the Cantal, will not have anything that compares with the brutality of the Col du Tourmalet, but with two short and steep climbs in the final 50km it may cause splits in the peloton.
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