Soudal-Quick Step cyclist, Belgian Tim Merlije, won the eighth stage of the Tour de France, while reigning champion Tadej Pogačar retained the yellow jersey.
Merlij completed the 180,4-kilometer stage from Perigueux to Bergerac in three hours, 52 minutes and 50 seconds, thus achieving his second consecutive stage victory.
The stage was extremely difficult, ending in a sprint, and the temperature during the race was measured at 37 degrees. Second place went to Eritrean Biniyam Girmaj from the NSN team, while third was Dutchman Olav Koj, a driver for the CMA CGM Decathlon team.
Four-time champion Pogačar, a rider for the Emirates team, finished the race in the main group alongside two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard of the Visma team and maintained an overall lead of two minutes and 42 seconds over his main rival.
Third place in the general standings is occupied by Mexican Isaac del Toro from Emirates, who is three minutes and 27 seconds behind his club colleague. The next, ninth stage of the Tour de France is tomorrow from Malmö to Isel. The organizers have decided to shorten tomorrow's stage by 30 kilometers, so it will be 155,5 kilometers long instead of 185,5 kilometers.
The organizers made this decision because the local department, where the stage is being run, declared a red weather alert.
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