On August 24th, at 2:00 PM local time, after the customary ceremonial ride, Stage 8 officially began.
Typically, on a stage like this one—with only two climbs and terrain more akin to rolling hills—the General Classification contenders would usually let the breakaway group have it.
However, during a breakaway in Stage 6, O'Connor had clawed back time, bringing himself to within just two seconds of the Red Jersey.
So, everyone knew full well that the Red Bull Bora Team couldn't afford to let a breakaway succeed again on this stage.
At the same time, the other GC teams, such as UAE Team, Vismar, and Ineos, saw how close the first and second-place riders were in the overall standings. With their own leaders so far behind, they certainly wouldn't continue to conserve energy and would instead take the initiative to attack.
If they didn't find an opportunity to close the gap soon, their deficit in the General Classification would only grow larger.
