Stage 7 of the Tour de France 2026 belonged to the sprinters, and the day delivered all the elbow bumping, high-speed chaos and excitement everyone was hoping for as the race cruised into Bordeaux, France, for the first time since 2023 and 81st time overall.
In the end, it was Belgian Tim Merlier who was able to hold off a talented group of sprint specialists, including Eritrean Biniam Girmay and points leader Mads Pedersen, who picked up a victory in Stage 4.
Stage 8 on Saturday should be another opportunity for the sprinters, unless an ambitious breakaway can steal the spotlight after multiple days of trying.
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- Who Won Stage 7 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
Merlier was followed Friday by Soren Waerenskjold, Girmay, Max Kanter and Pedersen.
Things in the General Classification remained unchanged, with reigning champion Tadej Pogačar maintaining his lead of 2 minutes, 42 seconds over two-time TDF winner Jonas Vingegaard. Young star Isaac del Toro is third and followed by Remco Evenepoel and Juan Ayuso.
One name missing from the GC standings is Norway's Torstein Traeen, who wore the yellow leader's jersey for two days but was forced out of the race due to a concussion and other injuries suffered in a crash late in Stage 6.
For viewers in Canada, FloBikes coverage of Stage 8 will begin at 7 a.m. Eastern and is expected to conclude around noon EDT.
Here’s what to know about Stage 8 of the Tour de France 2026, a flat 180.4-kilometer ride from Périgueux to Bergerac:
Stage 8: Tour de France 2026
The sprinters may not have had many opportunities early in the Tour de France 2026, but here's a second consecutive day for the fast men to showcase their speed.
We've got another flat stage and limited elevation gain, a route that definitely suits the sprinters and almost guarantees a bunch sprint for the win.
Along with the stage win, there is more focus this year on intermediate sprints during the stages and more reason to stay alert and aggressive, at least for those chasing the green points jersey.
This 180.4-kilometer journey from Périgueux to Bergerac doesn't come with much additional drama. There are a couple short climbs later in the day, but there will be plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and history of the region.
Even if you missed the first 100 kilometers of this stage, you'd be just in time for the drama and excitement.
Kilometers To Miles: How Long Is Stage 8 Of The Tour de France 2026?
Stage 8 of the Tour de France 2026 is 180.4 kilometers, or approximately 112 miles long.
Tour de France 2026 Stage 8 Profile
Here is what the route looks like for Stage 8:
How To Watch The Tour de France 2026 Stage 8
For Canadian viewers, the Tour de France 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms.
In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC family of networks and will stream daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, plus stage reruns, will be shown on the USA Network.
In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.
Who Won Stage 8 Of The Tour de France In 2025?
Stage 8 of the Tour de France 2025 also belonged to the sprinters, and that's where Jonathan Milan was able to establish himself as the man to beat for the green jersey.
Milan beat out two of the sport's best in Wout van Aert and Kaden Groves, and the win earned the 24-year-old the opportunity to take the points jersey off the shoulders of Tadej Pogačar.
As far as the General Classification, the nature of the stage meant no change at the top of the standings, allowing Pogačar to maintain his lead of almost a minute over Remco Evenepoel.
Milan also won Stage 17 last year and ended up 78 points ahead of Pogačar to secure the points title after Stage 21.
Tour de France 2026 Results: Here’s Who Has Won Each Stage So Far
- Stage 1: Who Won Stage 1 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 2: Who Won Stage 2 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 3: Who Won Stage 3 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 4: Who Won Stage 4 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 5: Who Won Stage 5 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 6: Who Won Stage 6 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 7: Who Won Stage 7 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
When Does The Tour de France 2026 Start?
The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 26.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (July 13 and July 20).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and a team time trial to kick things off on July 4.
How Long Is The Tour de France 2026?
The course for the Tour de France 2026 is 3,333 kilometers or just over 2,071 miles.
The race is 21 stages.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2026?
- Stage 1 (TTT) - July 4: Barcelone - Barcelone (19.6km)
- Stage 2 - July 5: Tarragone - Barcelone (168.5km)
- Stage 3 - July 6: Granollers - Les Angles (195.9km)
- Stage 4 - July 7: Carcassonne - Foix (181.9km)
- Stage 5 - July 8: Lannemezan - Pau (158.3km)
- Stage 6 - July 9: Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre (186.2km)
- Stage 7 - July 10: Hagetmau - Bordeaux (175.1km)
- Stage 8 - July 11: Périgueux - Bergerac (180.4km)
- Stage 9 - July 12: Malemort - Ussel (185.5km)
- Rest Day - July 13: Cantal
- Stage 10 - July 14: Aurillac - Le Lioran (166.6km)
- Stage 11 - July 15: Vichy - Nevers (161.3km)
- Stage 12 - July 16: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours - Chalon-sur-Saône (179.1km)
- Stage 13 - July 17: Dole - Belfort (205.8km)
- Stage 14 - July 18: Mulhouse - Le Markstein Fellering (155.3km)
- Stage 15 - July 19: Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison (183.9km)
- Rest Day - July 20: Haute-Savoie
- Stage 16 (ITT) - July 21: Évian-les-Bains - Thonon-les-Bains (26.1km)
- Stage 17 - July 22: Chambery - Voiron (174.7km)
- Stage 18 - July 23: Voiron - Orcières-Merlette (185.2km)
- Stage 19 - July 24: Gap - Alpe d'Huez (127.9km)
- Stage 20 - July 25: Le Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez (170.9km)
- Stage 21 - July 26: Thoiry - Paris Champs-Élysées (133km)
How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Tour de France?
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Tour de France. This year, there will be 23 teams.
Here’s the list for 2026:
- Alpecin - Premier Tech
- Bahrain - Victorious
- Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
- Cofidis
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education - EasyPost
- Groupama - FDJ United
- Netcompany INEOS
- Lidl - Trek
- Lotto Intermarché
- Movistar Team
- NSN Cycling Team
- Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Team Jayco AlUla
- Team Picnic PostNL
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- TotalEnergies
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- UAE Team Emirates - XRG
- Uno-X Mobility
- XDS Astana Team
Who Won The Tour de France In 2025?
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar added to his growing legacy by winning the Tour de France in 2025.
It was his second consecutive victory at the event, and fourth overall (2020, 2021), making him the sixth rider in history to win four times.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain all have won five times, while Chris Froome joins Pogačar with four.
On his way to securing the yellow jersey in 2025, Pogačar was the pre-race favorite.
His title defense featured four stage wins (4, 7, 12, 13), and he finished more than four minutes ahead of runner-up Jonas Vingegaard. Florian Lipowitz was third, 11 minutes behind Pogačar, who also won the King of the Mountains jersey.
Pogačar owns five Grand Tour victories overall, including the Giro d’Italia in 2024, which was part of a historic Giro-TDF double, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1998.
In 2026, Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, will be looking to match the effort after claiming the GC title at the Giro d’Italia in May and becoming the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours at least one time.
Merckx has the most GC wins in Grand Tours with 11, followed by Hinault, who has 10.
Pogačar has maintained his elite form in 2026 and started the year with four wins in his first five events. He then added four stages wins on the way to the GC crown at the five-stage Tour de Romandie.
Remco Evenepoel Responds After Tourmalet Drama In Tour de France 2026
Remco Evenepoel responded the day after the Tourmalet stage at the 2026 Tour de France, saying he and teammate Laurens Leiperwitz had “worked it out” after apparent tension inside the team.
But with both riders fighting for leadership, the situation remains one of the biggest stories around Remco’s Tour.
In this report, we hear from Evenepoel about the team dynamic, plus reaction from Tadej Pogacar and Matteo Jorgenson.
After a brutal mountain stage, the pressure is now just as much inside the team as it is on the road.
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