Two long transition stages from the north-west to the north of France, two sprint victories for Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo). Despite being the sprinter with the most pre-Tour victories this year, the Dutchman came in as something of an underdog in the fast finishes. He’s well and truly silenced his critics by now.

Stage 8 was very much a traditional transition stage: a doomed breakaway formed from the smaller local teams, an inevitable catch, and the predicted sprint finish. From here though, the Tour starts to get considerably more interesting. Stage 9’s visit to the pave of northern France is one of the race’s most anticipated stages, and after a rest day on Monday the race resumes in the Alps. We can’t wait.

For now though, here are some images from stage 8 of the Tour de France, courtesy of Jered & Ashley Gruber and Cor Vos.