"Perhaps there is a chance for Wout in the final" - Jumbo-Visma ready to seek stage win with Wout van Aert once again on stage 8

Stage 8 of the Tour de France is expected to be a very tense one. Alongside the heat felt on the road, the hilly finale will lead to an intense fight for positioning for the final section of the stage, and the hilltop that will be faced provide Wout van Aert to finally take the stage win he's been seeking so far.

"On days like this, it is important for us to get to the next day unscathed. The entire team has kept Jonas out of the hectic pace excellently. It shows a strong example of teamwork and that is nice to see," team DS Merijn Zeeman told In de Leiderstrui after stage 7. "We hope to do this again in Saturday's stage. Perhaps there is a chance for Wout in the final. If that opportunity arises, we will certainly seize it with both hands."

Having an incredibly strong team for this type of terrain, it will be possible for Jumbo-Visma to protect both race leader Vingegaard and van Aert into the finale in Limoges - where the final 700 meters average 4%. Many of the pure sprinters will likely struggle in the explosive terrain, providing a better opportunity for those who find themselves comfortable riding uphill. As shown over the Pyrenees, van Aert is currently on great form when it comes to his climbing legs.

"We're in good shape. Beforehand, Tadej Pogacar seemed to be the favorite on the course we've covered so far. Jonas and Tadej have shown that they are unapproachable for the time being, but of course we know that there are still several hijackers on the coast," Zeeman concluded, analyzing the fight for the yellow jersey which remained in the shadows over the seventh day of racing.