Tour de France 2023 - Stage 8 preview

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Stage 8: Libourne to Limoges

Date: July 8, 2023

Distance: 200.7km

Stage type: Hilly

The first week of the 2023 Tour de France has had just three opportunities for the pure sprinters - all of them won by Jasper Philipsen, who has the luxury of an unmatchable lead-out man in Mathieu van der Poel on his Alpecin-Deceuninck team.

At 200.7 kilometres in length and on another scorching day in southeastern France, stage 8 represents a mixed forecast.

The departure from Libourne near Bordeaux starts out flat, but as the race approaches the finish in Limoges, the peloton will hit the foothills of the Massif Central and encounter an undulating final 70km that - depending on how it's raced - could prove to difficult for the pure sprinters.

That would give more chances for a rider like Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) to try for a stage win after placing third on stage 7. He'll have the likes of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Van der Poel, and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quickstep) to battle, most likely.

Or, with the mountains returning with a vengeance on stage 9 with a finish on the Puy de Dôme, the peloton could save their energy and let a breakaway contest the stage.

However, Mark Cavendish and his Astana teammates would be encouraged by his promising sprint on the stage to Bordeaux where he had the line in view but was hampered by skipping gears.

A sprint is not out of the question. It will be the 13th time the Tour has finished in Limoges, and the last time in 2016 when Marcel Kittel edged Bryan Coquard at the line. 

The finish this time has a slight uphill finish and will be an important day in the battle for the green points jersey.