''Some really steep gradients'' and ''a strong crosswind''…
Hannah Walker sets the stage for a fierce battle on the way to Colombey-les-Deux-Églises!
Hannah Walker sets the stage for a fierce battle on the way to Colombey-les-Deux-Églises!
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00:00Stage 8 of the Tour de France is going to be a battle between the sprinters and the breakaway succeeding until the end.
00:06Starting in Semur-en-Essoir, the 183km stage has 2,400m of climbing.
00:13Whilst the longest categorised climb is 2.9km long, the five categorised climbs have some really steep gradients.
00:20And with a strong crosswind hitting the riders from the left-hand shoulder for the majority of the day,
00:25it adds to the difficulty of the stage.
00:27Riders and teams will have to be attentive, particularly UAE Team Emirates with Taddy Boccaccia,
00:32who was alone in the crosswinds two days ago.
00:35After winning Milano-San Remo this year, Jasper Philipsen is a key contender today.
00:40But so is his team-mate, the world champion Mathieu van der Poel.
00:43Should he try and want to get into the breakaway?
00:45Benim Gamay will fancy his chances for a second stage victory.
00:49The Eritrean thrives on the steep ascents, as does Michael Matthews.
00:53Ben Healy showed he's in top form and will want to try and win from the breakaway,
00:57as would the Spanish champion Aaron Buru.
00:59But one thing's for certain, it's an open stage.