Tour de France 2025 — Stage 8 Recap: Jonathan Milan Rockets to Laval Victory!
LAVAL, France —
It was sprinting at its raw, feral best. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) unleashed a savage final burst to claim a thrilling Stage 8 victory at the Tour de France 2025, out-kicking Wout van Aert (Visma–Lease a Bike) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in a frantic bunch sprint finale in Laval.
🚴♂️ The Final 10 Kilometres: Chaos Before Carnage
The day’s two-man breakaway — Mathieu Burgaudeau and Matteo Vercher — gave it full gas for nearly 50 kilometres, even grabbing the Combativity Award as the peloton kept them on a short leash.
As they were reeled in with 13 km to go, disaster struck for European champion Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) with a mechanical, leaving the sprint battle wide open.
Up front, Team Visma–Lease a Bike took control with 5 km remaining, while Alpecin-Deceuninck threw everything behind Mathieu van der Poel’s searing lead-out for Groves. But a small bobble from the Aussie sprinter with 1.5 km to go opened the door for Milan.
💥 The Final Sprint
As Jasper Stuyven fired Lidl-Trek’s train into the last 1,000 meters, Milan latched onto Van der Poel’s wheel like a predator. The Belgian superstar dropped Groves into prime position, but Milan timed his move to perfection.
Launching with 200 meters to go, the powerful Italian thundered past both Groves and Van Aert, sealing his 22nd career win and first of this year’s Tour in style.
🎙️ Post-Race Soundbite
Jonathan Milan:
“I knew it would be messy today. The final 5k was all elbows and chaos, but my guys put me in the perfect spot. When I saw the line, I just went all-in. This one’s for the team — and for Italy!”
📊 Stage 8 Top 5 Results
Rank | Rider | Team |
|---|---|---|
🥇 1 | Jonathan Milan | Lidl–Trek |
🥈 2 | Wout van Aert | Visma–Lease a Bike |
🥉 3 | Kaden Groves | Alpecin–Deceuninck |
4 | Pascal Ackermann | Israel–Premier Tech |
5 | Arnaud De Lie | Lotto Dstny |
📖 Bonus Drama
- Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché–Wanty) hit the tarmac in a late crash but remounted.
- Paul Penhoët (Groupama–FDJ) suffered a mechanical in the closing 10 km.
- The sole climb of the day, Côte de Nuillé-sur-Vicoin, was claimed by Burgaudeau, who spent 50km in the break at a blistering 48.2 km/h.
🔥 What’s Next: Stage 9 Preview
A lumpy stage through the Mayenne hills awaits tomorrow, a classic breakaway ambush zone before the first rest day. GC contenders will stay sharp while opportunists smell blood.
Can Milan double up? Will Van Aert finally bag his win? Or is a rogue escape on the cards?
Tune in for the madness — because if today was any indication, it’s far from over.
