With one stage to go, Cédrine Kerbaol remains in sixth place on GC.

The pace was high all day, even as a two-rider breakaway opened up a gap of up to six minutes on the peloton. Our squad stayed safe, patrolling on the front and riding together to keep Cédrine Kerbaol protected. With 12 kilometers to go, the break was brought back, leaving the door open for the GC favorites to attack. Noemi Rüegg and Cédrine were in the chase group, pushing themselves to the limit. They finished the stage in eighth and tenth on the stage, respectively.

We’ve got one more opportunity. Stage nine climbs the Col d’Eze four times which means plenty of opportunities for aggressive racing - just the way we like it.

“It was super hard. I was really happy to have Cédrine. She closed the gap to the chasing group but it was super tough because it was so technical so through every corner, you had to sprint full gas. We made it back on the flat and then Marlen [Reusser] pushed the pace and we didn’t come back. We tried to sprint but I was pretty on the limit so we did what we could.” - Noemi Rüegg

“The last climb went quite hard. Girls were dropping one by one and there was this left corner with a steep ramp. The goal was just to give everything we had. We were a bit dropped but only a few meters so I took Noemi back so she could sprint.” - Cédrine Kerbaol

“Today was completely what we expected. We knew that Demi [Vollering] would throw everything at it today to go for the win. We were hoping to capitalize after it a little bit more. So, our plan was also to be aggressive in the final. Demi beat us to it. You could see not only our team, but a lot of teams out there are super tired on stage eight, and every day, basically, racing. And unfortunately, it didn't go as we had hoped, but that's bike racing.

“Today there were definitely some longer faces coming in. I mean, it's good that Cédrine is still following in that GC group in the top 10 there. We had Noemi there, so if it would have just stayed, and Demi would not have attacked, it would have been a lot better for us. But, the team continues to grow each day, so we look forward to tomorrow. One stage to go. Let’s see how it goes. Hopefully we end on a high.” - Carmen Small, sports director

The race was on today from kilometer zero. The final 100 kilometers in particular were overwhelmingly downhill, meaning the peloton was flying as they approached the azure waters of the Mediterranean. The two steep categorized climbs in the final 20 kilometers shed riders but kept the overall pace high. When Noemi crossed the finish line and stopped her Wahoo, she had averaged 42.1 kph on the stage.

The Tour passes through so many towns and cities, some famous, some virtually unknown. Every morning at the start, admin races around on foot trying to find an open store to pick up a postcard or two to send to friends and family around the globe. It’s August in France which is synonymous with vacation but enough little shops have been open to build up a small collection to send in la poste soon enough.

Sweetcorn arepas are a favorite go-to meal. Get into a rhythm as you shape the patties and lightly pan-fry and they'll be ready to serve in no time. For a proper meal, fill the arepas with the salsa and add shredded chicken, grilled steak, black beans or avocado.

Ingredients: Sweetcorn arepas

400 g pre-cooked maize flour (P.A.N.)

300 g milk

250 g warm water

200 g sweetcorn, drained

25 g sugar

25 g olive oil

8 g salt

Method: Sweetcorn arepas

1. Blend half the sweetcorn with the milk until roughly smooth.

2. Mix with warm water, sugar, olive oil and salt.

3. Gradually mix in the maize flour.

4. Fold through the remaining whole sweetcorn.

5. Rest 8–10 min. The dough should be soft and easily shaped without cracking. Add another splash of milk if needed.

6. Shape into 8 × roughly 140 g patties, about 1.5 cm thick.

7. Pan-fry in a lightly oiled pan over medium-low heat, 5–6 min each side.

8. Finish 8 min at 180°C if they’re thick.

Ingredients: Cucumber & pepper salsa

2 cucumbers, deseeded and finely diced

2 red or yellow peppers, finely diced

200 g cherry tomatoes, finely chopped (optional but excellent)

1 large handful coriander, chopped

1 small handful mint, chopped

Zest + juice of 2 limes

25 g olive oil

10–15 g honey

1 small chilli, finely chopped

Salt + black pepper

Mix everything except the salt and leave 10–15 min. Season with salt just before serving so the cucumber stays crunchy.

Chef's tip: A little lime yogurt underneath the salsa hits the spot everytime.

In a sport where every athlete must wear a helmet, it may seem bizarre to the uninitiated to hear chapeau, the French word for hat, so often. The gesture of tipping one’s hat has historically meant an acknowledgement or sign of respect so in cycling, saying chapeau to a teammate or competitor is a way to commend them for their result or effort. Our squad has put in phenomenal teamwork day after day for the last eight stages. For their commitment and their work, we proudly say chapeau.