Stage 8 of the Tour de France was won by Wout van Aert in a photo finish with defending winner Tadej Pogacar. On a late uphill, Van Aert bested stage favourite Michael Matthews of Australia and Pogacar.

Tour De France Stage 8 Results

Van Aert now has a larger lead in the sprint point standings after claiming his second stage victory and placing second three times in the early stages in Denmark. Pogacar finished third and received a four-second bonus, increasing his lead over Jonas Vingegaard.

Both Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard of the AG2R team and Norwegian Vegard Stake Laengen of the Pogacar UAE team tested positive for Covid and were subsequently withdrawn from the race before the peloton left Dole in the Jura region on Saturday morning, casting a pall of uncertainty over the day’s events.

But cowbell-ringing spectators on the side of the road urged the group on as they crossed into Switzerland and had their first glimpse of the looming Alpine mountains that lay ahead.

Pogacar and third-placed Geraint Thomas tumbled early on, and French climber Thibaut Pinot not only fell twice but also got a whack on the nose from an errant food bag distributor.

On stage nine, Danish rider Magnus Cort Nielsen of the EF team will wear the polka dot jersey once more, while British rider Tom Pidcock of Ineos will wear the white under-26’s jersey as the runner-up to Pogacar.

The ninth stage begins in Aigle on Sunday and ends in Chatel le Portes du Soleil in the French and Swiss Alps, a distance of 119 miles with over 25 miles of ascent.

Col de la Croix is the highest point at 5,800 feet, and the Pas de Morgins, a 9-mile climb with a 6% grade, awaits any weary riders just before they cross back into France for the final 6 miles of the Tour.

2022 TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 8 RESULTS