:quality(80)/cdn-kiosk-api.telegraaf.nl/cb23b736-db82-11eb-86cf-02d1dbdc35d1.jpg "Tour de France stage 8: ‘Rivals Tadej Pogacar must immediately dissolve devils’ | Tour de France")
Stage 8: Oyonnax – Le Grand-Bornand 150.8 km
sport">The Tour peloton will head into the Alps on Saturday. Real cols are looming for the first time. After climbs of the third and fourth category, the last 53 kilometers are really busy, with successively the Côte de Mont-Saxonnex (5.7 kilometers at 8.3 percent), the Col de Romme (8.8 kilometers at 8.9 percent) and the Col de la Colombière (7.5 kilometers at 8.5 percent. ,,This will be the first stage with serious mountains”, Boogerd says.
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The profile of the eighth stage of the Tour de France.
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sport">The Rabobank icon hopes that the (remaining) competitors will immediately challenge top favorite Tadej Pogacar. “They will have to if they still have ambitions. Especially when you look ahead to the rides to come. It’s not a super difficult Tour this year. So they must immediately dissolve all their devils today.”
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Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is in excellent shape after a week of racing.
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sport">Who can, should and/or want to tighten the thumbscrews? In any case, the role of Primoz Roglic seems over. The Jumbo-Visma leader, in advance one of the major contenders for the overall victory, hit the asphalt hard earlier this week and lost about four minutes on Friday. In the standings, he is already almost six minutes behind Pogacar.
sport">Ineos men Geraint Thomas and Richie Porte are also behind due to falls. Their companion Richard Carapaz showed on Friday that he was still capable of making war, although his attack stranded within sight of the harbor.
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Primoz Roglic has been battered and scraped on the bike for days. He lost a lot of time on Friday.
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sport">,,Many men have already encountered something, but maybe Jumbo-Visma can do something with Jonas Vingegaard. He is in good shape,” said Boogerd, who has also seen Wout van Aert climb well and is currently second in the standings. “It will have to come from the corner of Ineos indeed.”
sport">Although the finish line has been drawn after a descent, Boogerd does not expect crazy things to happen on the downhill road towards the finish line. “Actually, the finish is at the top. There’s not much you can do in the descent, we’ve seen it here before in the past.”
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Mathieu van der Poel went deep on Friday to take some extra minutes ahead.
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Mathieu van der Poel
sport">And here we go again: what can we expect from Mathieu Van der Poel? After successfully (and somewhat surprisingly) defending yellow in the time trial, the Alpecin-Fenix frontman extended his lead on Friday by attacking brutally. Boogerd: ,,Well, what can I say about Mathieu? You just really don’t know with him anymore. He is capable of so much. If he manages to keep the yellow again, I’ll go crazy.”
sport">Boogerd would in any case wholeheartedly grant Van der Poel, a personal favourite. ,,I’ve always been a bit of a fan because of his attitude. We live a mile apart as the crow flies. When we meet in a restaurant, he always comes to shake hands. And when my son cycles to school and they meet on the road, he always says hello. I like that.”
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