2026 Tour de France stage 8 preview | Kooij and Merlier face a more technical sprint in Bergerac

Two sprint opportunities on consecutive days are increasingly rare in modern cycling. The fast men will therefore be eager to make the most of another potential bunch finish after Friday’s mass sprint in Bordeaux. Bergerac could provide them with another chance on Saturday — and it may be their last clear opportunity for some time. IDL Pro Cycling compares the main favourites for stage 8.

It may look like a copy of stage 7, but the peloton will not be sprinting in Bordeaux again. Saturday’s 182-kilometre stage starts in Périgueux and finishes in Bergerac. The Tour de France has visited Périgueux six times before, with the town hosting three stage finishes. Two of those were individual time trials, won by Tony Martin and “Monsieur Chrono” Jacques Anquetil. There will be no race against the clock this time, however, as the sprinters are expected to take centre stage.

From Périgueux, the riders head through the Dordogne, initially travelling east. The opening part of the stage is mostly flat, although the terrain is not quite as straightforward as it was on the road to Bordeaux. After approximately 40 kilometres, the peloton turns south and encounters another gently rolling section.

The first classified obstacle does not arrive until after 100 kilometres. The Côte de la Domme is 3.7 kilometres long at an average gradient of 3.3 per cent and is unlikely to trouble the sprinters. After the climb, the race turns west towards Bergerac. The intermediate sprint is located in Saint-Cyprien, approximately 58 kilometres from the finish. Ten kilometres later, the riders tackle the final classified climb of the day: the Côte du Buisson-de-Cadouin, measuring 2.2 kilometres at 5.6 per cent.

The final 35 kilometres are almost completely flat and follow the Dordogne river towards Bergerac. The finish in Bordeaux was largely straight and uncomplicated, but the approach to Bergerac should be slightly more technical. Several sharp corners feature in the closing kilometres, with the two most important turns coming inside the final kilometre. The sprint trains must negotiate two 90-degree right-hand corners, the last of which comes approximately 500 metres from the line. The condition and positioning of that final corner could become a significant factor. Teams will need to reach the front early, while any hesitation or loss of position could leave even the fastest sprinters with too much ground to recover.

Times
Start: 1:25 p.m. CET
Finish: approximately 5:40 p.m. CET

Extremely high temperatures are once again expected at the start in Périgueux. The temperature should rise comfortably above 30 degrees Celsius and could potentially reach 37 degrees. Conditions are expected to be similarly hot in Bergerac. The wind should not be strong enough to have a major influence on the race, making echelons unlikely. Rain is also not expected under the current forecast.

Two sprints, two winners. The first sprint opportunity was capitalized on by Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM), who sprinted to victory with ease. But Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) showed that there is indeed someone who could beat him in a sprint. If it comes down to a head-to-head duel, we wouldn’t dare say who will be the fastest!

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) saw his team do everything right in Bordeaux, but didn’t have the legs to capitalize on it. He’ll be hoping for better results. Max Kanter (XDS Astana) seems to have both the speed and the team, but it all still needs to come together. The same goes for Biniam Girmay (NSN), who came close twice but hasn’t been able to win yet. And Søren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) will suddenly have real hope for a victory after his second-place finish.

Of course, we also have to take the other names into account. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) is wearing the green jersey and has an impressive sprint. Against the real heavyweights, however, he usually falls just short. Some rookies are also hoping for a strong showing, such as Milan Fretin (Cofidis) and Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL). A strong result would be more than welcome.

Other riders haven’t had much luck yet in the sprint battles. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) will have been hoping for better results, but he’ll get another chance in Bergerac. Former French champion Dorian Godon (Netcompany INEOS) will also have been hoping for better results. Fellow Frenchman Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) will be in the mix again as well.

We also have riders who, with a little luck, could pull off something special, such as Huub Artz (Lotto-Intermarché) or his teammate Jenno Berckmoes. Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) could also make a move: perhaps with another long sprint? In Bordeaux, he was denied that opportunity. Pascal Ackermann (Jayco AlUla) used to be a regular contender, but a Tour victory still eludes him.

Top Favorites: Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
Dark horses: Max Kanter (XDS Astana), Søren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Mobility), Biniam Girmay (NSN), and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Long shots: Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Dorian Godon (Netcompany INEOS), Milan Fretin (Cofidis), Huub Artz (Lotto-Intermarché), Rick Pluimers (Tudor), Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL), Pascal Ackermann (Jayco AlUla), and Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies)