LAVAL: Jonathan Milan won stage eight of the Tour de France in a mass bunch sprint on Saturday ahead of Wout van Aert and Kaden Groves.

On a day for pure sprinters and with no change at the top of the overall rankings, Lidl-Trek’s Milan was the first Italian to win a stage on the Tour since Vincenzo Nibali in the Alps in 2019.

Pure sprinter Milan, 24, took over the top of the sprint points rankings and had been wearing the green tunic in place of Tadej Pogacar, who had earned the sprint and the overall leader’s yellow jersey by winning stage seven.

Three-time former champion Pogacar retained the overall lead with Remco Evenepoel and Kevin Vauquelin rounding out the top three, with no change in the top ten as the peloton kept its powder dry.

The remaining 177 riders from the original 184 rolled through the Brittany countryside with the harvest ongoing a month early and colossal crowds on the roadside.

Under clear blue skies and 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) heat there was little inspiration in the peloton to breakaway until late in the day.

French duo Mathieu Burgaudeau and Matteo Vercher attacked from 70km and the pair were only reeled in on the edge of finish town Laval after enthusiastic support on this Tour, which is based entirely on French soil but with no home winner yet.

Stage nine on Sunday heads south from Chinon to Chateauroux and is another flat affair with the focus on keeping hydrated in the heat and staying in the saddle.

But on France’s national holiday on Monday there are eight classified climbs and many more besides in a stage loaded with opportunities.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2025