Tour de France stage eight preview: Vignegaard can star in the mountains

Free cycling tips, best bets and analysis for stage eight of the 2021 Tour de France.

Where to watch

ITV4 & Eurosport 1, 12.15pm Saturday

Stage eight preview

The longest Tour de France stage in 21 years was always likely to turn into a war of attrition and so it proved on Friday.

Primoz Roglic was the big loser on the 250km stage and his bid for Tour redemption looks all but over after the injuries he suffered in crashes on stage three got the better of him and he lost nearly four minutes to his general-classification rivals.

There was delight for another Slovene though as national champion Matej Mohoric claimed stage honours. Mathieu van der Poel remains in yellow after a defiant ride.

There is no let up for the peloton today with the first of two mountain tests that end the first week of racing.

Beginning in the foothills of the Jura mountains, stage eight ends in the Alps.

The action should really begin to heat up in the final 50km with three first-category climbs, including Tour favourite the Col de la Colombiere, on the menu.

The stage doesn’t finish at the top of the Colombiere, rather 15km down it in Le Grand-Bornand, meaning a good descender who shakes off his rivals on the upward slopes is likely to prosper.

Julian Alaphilippe did just that on the same finale from a breakaway in 2018 but the prospect of eight bonus seconds for whoever reaches the summit of the Colombiere first, plus a further ten to the winner on the line, could draw out the general-classification contenders this time around.

Roglic’s woes leaves Jumbo-Visma with a decision to make and they could now throw their weight behind young Dane Jonas Vingegaard, who is an interesting proposition for today’s stage.

Third in Wednesday’s time trial, Vingegaard, who is 16-1 to win the Tour, has some strong results in mountain tests at the Tour of the Basque Country and the Dauphine and may be worth a small each-way play.

Not got a bet365 account? Sign up today and get up to £100 in bet credits

Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport