He will win more races if he doesn't do anything. Wout van Aert had shocked all observers by his suicide breakaway on Thursday at Longwy. He won the bump sprint that fit him like a glove on Saturday, between Lausanne, Dole, and Lausanne. After his victory in Calais, the Belgian signed his second stage win on this Tour. The Jumbo-Visma rider had planned his move and drove his team throughout the day. He was assisted by the Bike Exchange of Michael Matthews, Tadej Paogacar, and who finished in the same order at the end.
Van Aert was well-known for his abilities as a sprinter or a puncher. He easily won the Tour favorites and a few specialists at this type of finish. He said, "It's not easy to win a race. But, it was even harder in the Tour de France. Because I knew that there would be a flat area after, I was at my limits. I focused on the 300 meters remaining. It was difficult to stay on the wheel when I was with great climbers. This kind of ending is what I like.
The race for general classification will not be affected by the eighth stage. However, a major crash in the middle of the peloton 9 km after the start could have changed everything. Many runners, including Pogacar and G.Thomas as well as Quintana, Schachmann. Bardet, Pinot and Gaudu were among those who delayed or knocked out favorites. On the initiative of the UAE yellow shirt team, the peloton slowed down in order to allow latecomers to return. David Gaudu was one of those who felt a bit scared, but he was finally able to relax after the finish. "I hope it wasn't my bad day on Tour. I'm not sore anymore and I didn’t waste any time. That's the important thing.
