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Stage 8, Sunday, July 8: Belfort - Porrentruy, 157.5 km. Medium mountains

Rated ascents:

• Km 20.0: Côte de Bondeval, 4.4 km @ 3.9% - Category 4
• Km 32.0: Côte du Passage de la Douleur, 3.8 km @ 6.4% - Category 3
• Km 50.0: Côte de Maison-Rouge, 7.9 km @ 5% - Category 2
• Km 73.0: Côte de Saignelégier, 7.8 km @ 6.1% - Category 2
• Km 97.0: Côte de Saulcy, 4.6 km @ 8.6% - Category 2
• Km 130.5: Côte de la Caquerelle (834 m), 4.3 km @ 7.6% - Category 2
• Km 141.5: Col de la Croix (789 m), 3.7 km @ 9.2% - Category 1

The Race: What a day! Astana's Fredrik Kessiakoff was away and alone on the first category Col de la Croix when the youngest rider in the peloton, Thibaut Pinot caught and passed him. Pinot went over the climb with about 20 seconds on Kessiakoff and several minutes on the peloton. He drove for home with his director, Marc Madiot (1985, 1991 Paris-Roubaix winner), screaming at him from the team car. When he was in sight of the flamme rouge, Madiot shouted to him that he was going to win the stage, which he did. Terrific ride.

Back at the ranch, the speed the peloton went up the Col de la Croix was so fierce there were only 8 riders together at the top, and they were the real contenders for this Tour. On the descent Vincenzo Nibali tried to get a gap, but he couldn't open up any real space. I'm sure there will be more of that in days to come.

In the run-in to the finish Jurgen Van Den Broeck escaped and Cadel Evans went after him, prompting a furious chase by Bradley Wiggins. They were together for the field sprint, which Evans won.

Wiggins goes into tomorrow's time trial in the lead, allowing him to ride last. Samuel Sanchez crashed badly today. He will not be able to defend his Olympic road race gold medal.

Results: 178 riders finished today.

1. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) 3hr 56min 10sec. 40.0 km/hr
2. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 26sec
3. Tony Gallopin (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
4. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.
5. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) s.t.
6. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
7. Christopher Froome (Sky) s.t.
8. Denis Menchov (Katusha) s.t.
9. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
10. Frank Schleck (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 30sec
11. Christopher Horner (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
12. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana) @ 47sec
13. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 1min 25sec
14. Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
15. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
16. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) s.t.
17. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) s.t.
18. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) s.t.
19. Rui Albrto Faria da Costa (Movistar) s.t.
20. Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
21. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) s.t.
22. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
23. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
24. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
25. Rémy Di Gregorio (Cofidis) @ 2min 21sec
26. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) s.t.
27. Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) s.t.
28. Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
29. Gorka izaguirre (Euskaltel) s.t.
30. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
31. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) s.t.
32. David Moncoutié (Cofidis) s.t.
33. Blel Kadri (Ag2r) s.t.
34. Jérôme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) s.t.
35. Gianpaolo Caruso (Katusha) s.t.
36. Dmitriy Fofonov (Astana) s.t.
37. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) s.t.
38. Juan José Cobo (Movistar) s.t.
39. Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) s.t.
40. Arthur Vichot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 4min 58sec
41. Davide Malacarne (Europcar) s.t.
42. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
43. Guillaume Levarlet (Saur-Sojasun) s.t.
44. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) s.t.
45. Stuart O'Grady (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
46. Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) s.t.
47. Richie Porte (Sky) s.t.
48. Pierrick Fedrigo (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
49. Dominik Nerz (Liquigas) s.t.
50. Kevin De Weert (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.

General Classification: 1,575 km raced so far at an average speed of 41.12 km/hr

1. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) 38hr 17min 56sec
2. Cadel Evans (BMC) 2 10sec
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) @ 16sec
4. Denis Menchov (Katusha) @ 54sec
5. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio shack-Nissan) @ 59sec
6. Christopher Froome (Sky) @ 1min 32sec
7. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 2min 8sec
8. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) @ 2min 11sec
9. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 2min 21sec
10. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) @ 2min 27sec
11. Tony Gallopin (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 3min 13sec
12. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Movistar) @ 3min 24sec
13. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 3min 41sec
14. Christopher Horner (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 3min 43sec
15. Frank Schleck (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 3min 47sec
16. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) @ 4min 3sec
17. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) @ 4min 8sec
18. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 4min 12sec
19. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 4min 24sec
20. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) @ 4min 26sec
21. Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 4min 46sec
22. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) @ 5min 37sec
23. Jérôme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) @ 5min 37sec
24. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) @ 5min 47sec
25. Gorka izaguirre (Euskaltel) @ 6min 5sec
26. Mihael Rogers (Sky) @ 6min 12sec
27. Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-Quick step) @ 6min 45sec
28. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 6min 45sec
29. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 6min54sec
30. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) @ 7min 51sec
31. Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 9min 44sec
32. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) 2 10min 5sec
33. Rémy Di Gregorio (Cofidis) @ 11min 7sec
34. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) @ 11min 47sec
35. Davide Malacarne (Europcar) @ 13min 24sec
36. Fabian Cancellara (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 13min 36sec
37. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) @ 14min 27sec
38. Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) @ 14min 56sec
39. Sandy Casar (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 16min 0sec
40. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) @ 16min 43sec
41. Kevin De Weert (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 17min 16sec
42. Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas) @ 17min 38sec
43. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Ag2r) @ 18min 19sec
44. Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) @ 18min 41sec
45. Rafel Valls (Vacansoleil) @ 18min 47sec
46. Arthur Vichot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 18min 58sec
47. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana) @ 19min 21sec
48. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 19min 31sec
49. Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) @ 19min 54sec
50. George Hincapie (BMC) @ 20min 9sec

Climber:

1. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana): 21 points
2. Christopher Froome (Sky): 20
3. Cadel Evans (BMC): 18
4. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat): 16
5. Bradley Wiggins (Sky): 12

Points:

1. Peter Sagan (Liquigas): 217 points
2. Matthew Harley Goss (Orica-GreenEdge): 185
3. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol): 172
4. Mark Cavendish (Sky): 129
5. Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 109

Young Rider:

1. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) 38hr 20min 23sec
2. Tony Gallopin (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 46sec
3. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 1min 14sec
4. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) @ 1min 41sec
5. Gorka Izaguirre (Euskaltel) @ 3min 38sec

Team Classification:

1. Sky: 103hr 5min 23sec
2. Radio Shack-Nissan @ 1min 37sec
3. Katusha @ 5min 54sec
4. Liquigas @ 6min 16sec
5. BMC @ 7min 8sec

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Stage 8 map and profile

Stage 8 map

Stage 8 profile

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Photos from Stage 8:

Thibaut Pinot on his successful solo break

Cadel Evans takes off after Jurgen Van Den Broeck

Jurgen Van Den Broeck had taken a shortcut at a roundabout and gained a small gap. Here Evans closes in on him before the pair were caught.

Froome and Nibali lead the chase.

The youngest rider on the team with the smallest budget wins the stage.

Cadel Evans wins the field sprint.

Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) heads for the barn. Might be Kessiakoff on his wheel.

Pierre Rolland and Ivan Basso

Rein Taaramae keeps his white jerey for another day.

Levi Leipheimer and Christian Vande Velde

Edvald Boasson Hagen

In accounts of the day's stage, you may read about a roundabout with a dinosaur near the finsih. This is it.

The hero of the day.

Cadsel Evans and Vincezo Nibali did all they could to keep this from happening. Wiggins goes into the time trial in the lead and gets to ride last.

Fredrik Kessiakoff is the new KOM