Tour de France 2025 - Stage 8: Saint-Méen-le-Grand - Laval Espace Mayenne | 171.4 kilometres | 1700 vertical metres
After the classics stages, the Tour will presumably enter calmer waters. The provisional classification has been finalised and everyone has found their role, which suggests that the eighth stage, which is expected to end with a bunch sprint, will be a calm one.
There are no notable topographical obstacles to overcome, the metres in altitude are spread over many small hills. The finish in Laval includes the typical French road obstacles: At 3,000 metres, the peloton circles a roundabout for a U-turn. Two more roundabouts are driven straight through.
The finishing straight is 1.5 km long, 6.5 metres wide and rises by 27 metres in the last 1,000 metres. 200 metres before the finish, the road bends slightly to the left; you should be at the front here to have a chance in the sprint.
The field of sprinters is already somewhat thinned out. Nevertheless, there are numerous candidates for the sprint. The favourites are presumably Jonathan Milan, Tim Merlier and Biniam Girmay. Perhaps Phil Bauhaus or Pascal Ackermann will pull off a surprise.
Due to the bend just before the finish, we simulate a 200 metre sprint on the slightly uphill finishing straight.
The number of the day: 0.14 seconds
In the final sprint on the Boulevard Pierre Elaine, the most aerodynamic bikes once again came out on top. In our simulation, the S5 is ahead at the same time as the Van Rysel RCR-F Pro. Van Rysel's top aerodynamics and the lower weight of the S5 neutralise each other on the slightly uphill finishing straight, they are mathematically equal in time.
With a light bike, which no sprinter will use, the gap at the finish would be 0.14 seconds. In addition to the aerodynamics of the bike, it is of course also very important in a sprint how low the rider ducks over the bike. Mark Cavendish was the first sprinter to perfect his sprint in this respect and specifically trained to transfer his power to the road in the most aerodynamic position possible.
We were able to see the difference this can make on the third stage. Tim Merlier won by tyre strength against Jonathan Milan, who was initially in front. Merlier visibly ducked lower over his bike than his Italian rival, who presumably had more power.
The (almost) complete field in the final 200 metre sprint of stage eight*
The table shows: In the sprint, the aero bolides are among themselves. Weight only plays a minor role on the slightly uphill finishing straight.
*) The calculations are based on the bikes tested by TOUR in the laboratory and wind tunnel. The bikes at the Tour de France may differ in some details. Of course, we have also not yet been able to analyse last-minute prototypes. Background to the simulation.
Our expert
Robert Kühnen studied mechanical engineering, writes about technical and training topics for TOUR and develops test methods. Robert has been refining the simulation calculations for years and they are also used by professional teams.
