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Tour de France update: Kuss inside top 40, Simmons inside top 70 after Stage 8

First mountain stage will be on Monday; first rest day on Tuesday
Durango's Sepp Kuss is considered as a long shot to win the Tour de France by oddsmakers. However, Kuss has a big role on Visma-Lease a Bike to help his team leader Jonas Vingeggaard win. (Courtesy Visma-Lease a Bike)

Durango’s Sepp Kuss and Quinn Simmons were absent from the front of the Tour de France during Stage 7 on Friday or Stage 8 on Saturday. Neither rider finished inside of the top 40 in either stage.

Kuss remains in 34th in the general classification after Stage 8, while Simmons is 69th.

Stage 7 was hilly and came down to a sprint finish between GC favorites Tadej Pogačar, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and Kuss’ teammate, Visma-Lease a Bike’s Jonas Vingegaard. Pogačar got the best of Vingegaard, won the stage and got the yellow jersey back.

Pogačar won the 197-kilometer Stage 7 from Saint-Malo, France, to Mûr-de-Bretagne, France, in four hours, five minutes and 39 seconds. Kuss finished 44th, 4:04 behind Pogačar. Simmons finished 78th, 8:12 behind Pogačar.

The 171.4 km Stage 8 was very flat and great for sprinters. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Simmons’ teammate, Lidl-Trek sprinter Jonathan Milan, won the stage and retained the green jersey.

Milan crossed the line in 3:50:26 to take the stage win. Kuss finished 97th, 1:11 behind the leaders. Simmons finished 160th, 4:39 behind the leaders.

Pogačar leads the Tour GC by 54 seconds over Soudal Quick-Step’s Remco Evenepoel. Vingegaard is in fourth, 1:17 behind and Lidl-Trek’s Mattias Skjelmose is in 10th, 3:43 behind.

Sunday’s Stage 9 is another flat stage; it starts in Chinon, France and ends in Châteauroux.

On Monday, Kuss may get the chance to shine for Visma-Lease a Bike with the Tour’s first mountain stage from Ennezat, France, to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, France.

Milan leads the battle for the green points jersey with 182 points, followed by Pogačar in second with 156.

Pogačar is also second in the king of the mountain classification, behind his teammate Tim Wellens. Simmons is in seventh.

Evenepoel leads the youth classification by 17 seconds over Kévin Vauquelin; Simmons is 17th.

Visma-Lease a Bike leads the team standings by 5:33 over UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

bkelly@durangoherald.com