Andy The Winner While Evans Is The Leader!

The Progress Report
The eighth stage of the 2010 Tour de France, from Station des Rousses to Morzine-Avoriaz, began at 12.40pm. There were 186 riders at the start, one less than the day before as Vandenbergh (KAT) finished outside the time limit yesterday. The 189km stage featured five climbs including the first cat-1s of the 97th Tour, they were: cat-4 Petite Joux climb (24km), cat-4 cote de Gresin (73km), the cat-1 col de la Ramaz (154.5km), cat-3 Les Gets (168km) and the final ascent to Avoriaz ranked category-one (and carrying double points). The intermediate sprints were in Vulbens (84km), Viuz-en-Sallaz (129km) and Morzine (175km).

Fast Start To Establish Escape
There were several attacks early in the stage with Kiryienka (GCE) the first to gain any advantage. He was 10” ahead at the 6km mark when there was a crash at the front of the peloton involving, amongst others, Evans (BMC), Pineau (QST), Kreuziger (LIQ) who all remounted the bike but needed medical attention after they rejoined the peloton. Armstrong (RSH) had to go off the road to avoid crashing. There were several counter-attackers after the crash but Popovych (RSH) policed the escapees and chastised those who insisted on attacking after the crash. Shortly after Kiryienka returned to the bunch.
At 28km, Aerts (OLO) prompted a few others to follow him in an attack. He was joined by Riblon (ALM), Erviti (GCE), Moerenhout (RAB) and two Cofidis riders – Moinard and Minard and by 39km they were 2’15” ahead. The average speed for the first hour was the fastest so far this year: 50.8km/h. Quickstep assumed its position at the head of the peloton and no other team contributed to the pacesetting for two hours. The advantage grow steadily, 5’40” at 88km, 6’35” at 95km, 7’00” at 110km – this was the maximum gain.

Armstrong Dropped On Col de la Ramaz
On the approach to the col de la Ramaz, the Rabobank and BMC teams started moving to the front of the peloton. The escapees were ahead by 6’15”. At 133km, Armstrong was involved in a crash. He quickly remounted his bike and was helped back to the peloton by four team-mates. Garmin was at the front of the bunch at the moment of the crash. At the base of the climb, the peloton was 4’35” behind the escapees.
With 4.8km to climb on the first category-one ascent of the 2010 race, Armstrong was dropped by his rivals. At the top of the Ramaz, a peloton of 30 riders – including Contador (and three team-mates), Evans, Schleck, Basso, Wiggins, Sastre and other title favorites – was 2’05” behind. Armstrong was at 3’15” and the yellow jersey at 4’45”.
Just before the Les Gets summit, two Euskaltel-Euskadi riders were involved in a crash just ahead of Armstrong who had nowhere to go but into the back of them – he didn’t fall to the ground but it was the third accident of the stage for the American.

Evans Into The Yellow Jersey
The leading trio had 1’15” at the base of the final climb. Moerenhout was the first drop from the lead, then Aerts… and eventually Moinard was caught just before the 5km to go mark. A group of 15 formed at the front of the stage and rode together with Navarro setting the pace for Contador most of the way up the final climb. With 3.5km to go, Wiggins dropped out of the lead group and this prompted a volley of attacks: first from Gesink, then Kreuziger… but it wasn’t until the final 700m that a rider could break free and it was an inspired Schleck who was so fast that only Sanchez could follow. Those two raced to the line in the quest for stage honors and the Luxembourger sprinted into the lead in the dying meters of the stage to win his first Tour de France state.
Cadel Evans finished sixth in the stage, 10” behind the stage winner and he took the lead of the general classification on the eve of the first rest day, just as he did in 2008. This time, however, his lead is 20” over Andy Schleck whereas in 2008 he was in yellow just one second ahead of Frank Schleck.