Stage 8 of the 2027 Tour de France runs 224 km from Bourges to Le Creusot on Saturday, July 10, the longest stage of the race. ASO rates it hilly, with about 3,100 meters of climbing, and it comes the day before the first summit finish.
The stage is decided in the Morvan. The Côte de la Croix de la Libération (4.6 km at 5.3 percent) comes first, then the Signal d’Uchon (5.7 km at 5.7 percent), and the summit of the Signal d’Uchon is 18 km from the finish in Le Creusot. Domestique Cycling reports gradients of up to 18 percent on the Signal d’Uchon.
The Tour has been here before. The Signal d’Uchon was part of the 2021 Tour on stage 7 from Vierzon to Le Creusot, which Matej Mohorič won alone from a breakaway and on which Primož Roglič fell out of contention for the overall. Bourges’ only earlier Tour visit was a stage start in 1973.
This is a day for puncheurs and for a breakaway that can hold on over two climbs. The overall contenders gain little here and can lose time if they are badly placed, and the Grand Colombier is next.