(Photo credit: General view of the peloton in action. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo)

Italy's Jonathan Milan captured Stage 8 of the Tour de France with a successful sprint to the finish on Saturday in Laval, France.

It was the first career stage win at the Tour de France for the 24-year-old Milan, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist in team pursuit and the 2024 world champion in individual pursuit.

Belgium's Wout van Aert finished second in Saturday's flat 171.4-kilometer stage in western France and Australia's Kaden Groves was third.

Defending and three-time champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia retained the overall race leader's yellow jersey, trailed by Belgium's Remco Evenepoel and France's Kevin Vauquelin. Matteo Jorgenson is the leading American in the race in sixth place.

Stage 9 on Sunday is a flat 174.1-kilometer trek from Chinon to Chateauroux. International cycling's premier 21-stage race will conclude on July 27 in Paris.

--Field Level Media