"People leave their brakes at home" - Tour de France sprint rivals' war of words continues after hectic stage 8 finale
Cycling
After three Tour de France sprint finishes so far, it seems only two-in-a-row stage winner Tim Merlier is the only one sleeping well as several of the sprint rivals and teams have launched into criticism of each other after stage 8.
In a typically hectic sprint finale, the Soudal Quick-Step rider demonstrated his strength with a powerful sprint, launching into the wind from distance after finding himself seemingly out of contention with 350 meters to go - upsetting the rest of the field to win again after a stage 7 victory.
The rest were left to lick their wounds as some teams questioned others' tactics in not contributing to controlling the stage, Soren Waerenskjold blasted Biniam Girmay after their duel into the final corner and a frustrated Jasper Philipsen and Alpecin wondered what else they need to do for victory.
For NSN lead-out man Jake Stewart, he can't understand the tactics during stage 8 as he helped guide Girmay to a second place finish.
"Honestly, it doesn't really make sense to me. I don't know, maybe they were trying to keep as many riders as possible for the finale," Jake Stewart told Cyclism'Actu.
Stewart on "strange" sprint tactics
"But ultimately, if you don't put your sprinter in a position where he can win, what's the point of having five teammates still there in the final kilometers? It was a bit strange."
Fernando Gaviria has found himself on the peripherally involved, with 13th place on Saturday his best result. The experienced Colombian can't get over the lack of braking as riders jostle for position in the finale.
“It was chaos, like it is every day,” Gaviria said. “Sometimes it feels as though people leave their brakes at home. We tried, but we did not have the strength to move further forward.”
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“Everyone wanted to enter that first corner near the front because we knew it was a little dangerous. Nobody wants to brake, and that creates a lot of risk.”
Positioning is the key for the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA sprinter, who found himself outside the pole position fight into Saturday's final corner. Teams had been warned about the bend in th pre-stage build-up, making the fight for position more intense than usual on the approach.
“We were a little careful today and, in the end, it became chaotic,” Gaviria said. “The team believes in me and we are going to keep fighting for the stage win, but we still have to improve our positioning.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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