Le Tour – Stage 8

Belfort to Porrentruy

Distance: 157.5 kilometers.

RadioShack-Nissan is in firm control of the Team category with 6 riders in the top 20. Sky has only managed to keep 4 riders in the top 50. Thibaut Pinot timed his move with precision to take the stage win, but Fredrik Kessiakoff won the race to the Polka Dots.

Three more riders are out, including Samuel Sanchez, Euskaltel-Euskadi’s team leader.

This was definitely a stage for the climbers who faced in order: 4 – Côte de Bondeva, 3 – Côte du Passage de la Douleur, 2 – Côte de Maison-Rouge, 2 – Côte de Saignelégier, 2 – Côte de Saulcy, 2 – Côte de la Caquerelle, and 1 – Col de la Croix.

Tomorrow is a short day for time trials, and a rest day afterwards.

Bradley Wiggins ( GB – SKY – 101 ) [Yellow]
Peter Sagan (Svk-LIQ-057) [Green] 217 points
Fredrik Kessiakoff ( Swe – AST – 187 ) [Polka Dot] 21 points
Rein Taaramae ( Est – COF – 081 ) 4 [White]

Team: RadioShack-Nissan ( 011-019 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Thibaut Pinot ( Fra – FDJ – 146 )
Combative: Fredrik Kessiakoff ( Swe – AST – 187 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Bradley Wiggins ( G B – SKY – 101 )
2 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 001 ) + 00′ 10”
3 Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – LIQ – 051 ) + 00′ 16”
4 Denis Menchov ( Rus – KAT – 131 ) + 00′ 54”
5 Haimar Zubeldia ( Esp – RNT – 019 ) + 00′ 59”
6 Christopher Froome ( G B – SKY – 105 ) + 01′ 32”
7 Maxime Monfort ( Bel – RNT – 016 ) + 02′ 08”
8 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – LTB – 111 ) + 02′ 11”
9 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – ALM – 079 ) + 02′ 21”
10 Rein Taaramae ( Est – COF – 081 ) + 02′ 27”

The Rest of the Top 50:

11 Tony Gallopin ( Fra – RNT – 013 ) + 03′ 13”
12 Rui Alberto Costa ( Por – MOV – 163 ) + 03′ 24”
13 Thibaut Pinot ( Fra – FDJ – 146 ) + 03′ 41”
14 Christopher Horner ( USA – RNT – 014 ) + 03′ 43”
15 Frank Schleck ( Lux – RNT – 011 ) + 03′ 47”
16 Janez Brajkovic ( Slo – AST – 181 ) + 04′ 03”
17 Tejay Van Garderen ( USA – BMC – 009 ) + 04′ 08”
18 Ivan Basso ( Ita – LIQ – 052 ) + 04′ 12”
19 Andréas Klöden ( Ger – RNT – 015 ) + 04′ 24”
20 Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 029 ) + 04′ 26”
21 Levi Leipheimer ( USA – OPQ – 191 ) + 04′ 46”
22 Michele Scarponi ( Ita – LAM – 041 ) + 05′ 37”
23 Jérôme Coppel ( Fra – SAU – 091 ) + 05′ 37”
24 Jelle Vanendert ( Bel – LTB – 119 ) + 05′ 47”
25 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti ( Esp – EUS – 034 ) + 06′ 05”
26 Michael Rogers ( Aus – SKY – 108 ) + 06′ 12”
27 Peter Velits ( Svk – OPQ – 199 ) + 06′ 45”
28 Alejandro Valverde ( Esp – MOV – 161 ) + 06′ 45”
29 Sylvain Chavanel ( Fra – OPQ – 192 ) + 06′ 54”
30 Eduard Vorganov ( Rus – KAT – 139 ) + 07′ 51”
31 Chris Anker Sorensen ( Den – STB – 178 ) + 09′ 44”
32 Egoi Martinez ( Esp – EUS – 035 ) + 10′ 05”
33 Rémy Di Gregorio ( Fra – COF – 082 ) + 11′ 07”
34 Marco Marcato ( Ita – VCD – 125 ) + 11′ 47”
35 Davide Malacarne ( Ita – EUC – 028 ) + 13′ 24”
36 Fabian Cancellara ( Sui – RNT – 012 ) + 13′ 36”
37 Bauke Mollema ( Ned – RAB – 153 ) + 14′ 27”
38 Andrey Kashechkin ( Kaz – AST – 186 ) + 14′ 56”
39 Sandy Casar ( Fra – FDJ – 141 ) + 16′ 00”
40 Peter Sagan ( Svk – LIQ – 057 ) + 16′ 43”
41 Kevin De Weert ( Bel – OPQ – 193 ) + 17′ 16”
42 Sylvester Szmyd ( Pol – LIQ – 058 ) + 17′ 38”
43 Jean-Christophe Peraud ( Fra – ALM – 071 ) + 18′ 19”
44 Robert Kiserlovski ( Cro – AST – 188 ) + 18′ 41”
45 Rafael Valls Ferri ( Esp – VCD – 128 ) + 18′ 47”
46 Arthur Vichot ( Fra – FDJ – 149 ) + 18′ 58”
47 Fredrik Kessiakoff ( Swe – AST – 187 ) + 19′ 21”
48 Edvald Boasson Hagen ( Nor – SKY – 102 ) + 19′ 31”
49 Laurens Ten Dam ( Ned – RAB – 157 ) + 19′ 54”
50 George Hincapie ( USA – BMC – 005 ) + 20′ 09”

Out of the race:

Samuel Sanchez ( Esp – EUS – 031 )
Gorka Verdugo ( Esp – EUS – 039 )
Johannes Fröhlinger ( Ger – ARG – 214 )

Note: Wikipedia has a simple article on the Mountain classification used on the Tour. The basic fact is that climbs fall into five types, with the four numbered types decreasing in difficulty as the numbers get larger, and then there is the Hors Catégorie, literally “without category”, which generally makes you look for an elevator or Sherpas.

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