Coquard came from behind in the closing meters, timing the bike throw to hold off Pedersen with Jordi Meeus completing the podium. The margin was that tight in a sprint disrupted by a mass crash right at the finish. Stage 8 will be remembered for Pogačar's abandonment and Enric Mas inheriting the red jersey, but the stage result itself stands on its own: a decisive, hard-earned win for a rider who has spent seasons close to this line without crossing it first.