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12:08:49 - Welcome To The Live Coverage Of Stage Eight

The eighth stage of the 2009 Tour de France, from Andorra-la-Veille to St-Girons, is scheduled to start at 12.20pm. Live coverage of the stage will commence soon. For the time being we can report that the conditions are beautiful for this 176.5km race back to France. The sun is shining, the temperature is about 25 degrees Celsius at the start in the principality of Andorra. The start is at an altitude of 1,213m and the first challenge for the peloton will be the ascent of the Port d'Envalira, a 2,408m high pass with the summit at the 23.5km mark.

12:13:45 - Three Climbs: Three Sprints

The 176.5km stage features three climbs: the category-one Port d’Envalira (2,408m high with the crest at 23.5km), the category-two col de Port (1,249m high at 102km) and the category-one col d’Agnes (1,570m high at 132.5km). The three intermediate sprints are in Luzenac (67km), Tarascon-sur-Ariege (84.5km) and Vic d’Oust (159.5km).

12:20:03 - Peloton Waiting For Starting Orders...

The riders in the four prize jerseys are at the front of the peloton in Andorra waiting for the order to start rolling in the short neutral zone before the beginning of racing in stage eight.

12:20:51 - Cavendish Smiling Early Today...

The leader of the points classification, Mark Cavendish is riding alongside compatriot Bradley Wiggins as the bunch rolls through the neutral zone. The Garmin rider is ranked fifth overall after 1,040km of racing in the 2009 edition and the pair appear to be enjoying themselves early today.

12:22:40 - Prize Classifications Review: Part 01 – Yellow Jersey

After six days in the yellow jersey, Fabian Cancellara is no longer the leader of the Tour de France 2009. The Swiss Saxo Bank recruit was dropped by the group containing Armstrong, Contador, Kloden, Evans, Sastre et al with about seven kilometers to go in stage seven. He finished 67th in Andorra (9’16” behind the stage winner Brice Feillu and 5’29” behind Armstrong) and is now 39th overall.

Rinaldo Nocentini became the first Italian since Alberto Elli in 2000 to take the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. The AG2R rider finished stage seven in fourth place and now leads the general classification by six seconds from Contador and eight seconds from Armstrong.

12:23:23 - Prize Classifications Review: Part 02 – Polka-Dot Jersey

The stage winner in Arcalis, Brice Feillu (AGR) was fourth over the second climb of the stage, fifth over the first cat-one col of the 2009 Tour, and first at the premier ‘hors category’ climb of the 96th edition. As the final ascent was ranked higher than category-two it offered double points in the climbing classification, meaning that Feillu collected a total of 49 points in one day. He is now the King of the Mountains with a lead of three points on compatriot and fellow escape companion in the stage from Barcelona, Christophe Riblon (ALM).

Stephane Auge (COF) moved from first in this classification to 11th but his team-mate – and another member of the nine-man escape group yesterday – Christophe Kern is now ranked third with 46pts. Kern was second in the seventh stage.

12:26:10 - Prize Classifications Review: Part 03 – Green Jersey

There is no change to the top five of the ‘sprinters category’ after the seventh stage. Mark Cavendish (THR) and Thor Hushovd (CTT) finished 137th and 171st, respectively, at Andorra as part of the ‘grupetto’ that finished 28’29” behind the stage winner. These two men are at the top of the points classification with 106 and 105pts each. Cavendish wear the green jersey for the seventh consecutive day.

12:28:28 - Rojas Holding Race Director's Car

Judging by the profile of the stage today, we can expect a strong performance from the Caisse d'Epargne team. Both Luis Leon Sanchez and Oscar Pereiro have stated that they believe this is a day that could suit their strengths: good climbs and plenty of descending...

Currently their team-mate Jose Rojas, is at the front of the peloton as it rides through the neutrol zone, is holding on to the team car saving some energy while he can.

12:30:27 - Prize Classifications Review: Part 04 – White Jersey

Tony Martin (THR) finished stage seven in 16th place with the same time as Evans’ group of 11. The German continues to lead the youth classification and he increased his advantage of the next-best rider in this category that’s open to riders born after 1 January 1984. Andy Schleck (SAX) moved up from fourth to second in the race for the white jersey and last year’s winner is now 49” behind Martin.

Roman Kreuziger (LIQ) lost 1’01” to Martin’s group in Andorra and slipped from second to fourth in the young rider category.

12:30:57 - Prize Classifications Explained: Part 05 – Team Rankings

AG2R was a big winner in the seventh stage. It took the lead in the general classification and, thanks to the efforts of Nocentini (4th), Riblon (6th) and Efimkin (28th) the French formation won the team classification in the stage from Barcelona to Andorra by 3’42” from Milram.

Nocentini’s squad is now ranked second in the general classification for teams, moving up from ninth after six stages. AG2R is 1’48” behind Astana.

12:31:55 - Racing In Stage Eight

The official start of the 8th stage was at 12.32pm. There has been an attack immediately from an Agritubel rider. He is being followed by a Skil-Shimano team member.

12:34:09 - Calzati Starts The Attacks

The first to attack was Calzati (AGR). He was followed by Hupont (SKS). There are a number of riders now trying to bridge the gap to these two Frenchmen.

12:35:57 - Voigt Part Of Counter Attack

Voigt is leading a group of about 10 riders up to Calzati and Hupont.

12:36:18 - Already Climbing...

Calzati and Hupont have been caught by about 15 riders. Now an Euskaltel rider - either Anton or Txurruka - has gone on ahead alone. The bunch is already on the Port d'Envalira. This is a 23.2km long ascent with an average gradient of 5.1 percent.

12:37:58 - Txurruka Leads The Stage

The Euskaltel stage leader is Amets Txurruka, the most aggressive rider of the Tour in 2007. He has a lead of about 200m on the next best rider.

12:38:45 - Gruppeto Already Forming

There are a number of riders already losing ground on the peloton including Delage (SIL), De Jongh (QSI) and Hutarovich (FDJ).

12:40:48 - Four Bridge To Txurruka

There are now three Euskaltel riders in the lead group. Moncoutie (COF) led Barredo (QSI) and Txurruka's two team-mates up to the front of the stage. They have a lead of about 200 meters on a number of other counter-attackers.

12:41:42 - The Five Stage Leaders

The five men in the lead of the eighth stage are: Martinez, Txurruka and Verdugo (EUS), Barredo (QSI) and Moncoutie (COF).

12:42:36 - Gonzalo Ramierz Abandons

There are now 175 riders in the race. Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez has abandoned already today.

12:43:18 - Martinez Goes Alone...

The five-man lead group has split. Now Martinez (EUS) has taken the lead of the stage. He is being pursued by a Caisse d'Epargne rider.

12:44:25 - 31 Riders Already Dropped

There is a grupetto of 31 riders including Cavendish and Boonen that's already been dropped today.

12:47:06 - Martinez Fourth In Climbing Classification

Martinez was part of the escape yesterday. He is currently the lone race leader but Laurens Ten Dam (RAB) is trying to bridge the gap. Martinez (EUS) has 43 points in the race for the polka-dot jersey, six points shy of the lead in the climbing classification.

12:48:11 - Three In The Lead

Paulinho (AST) and Uran (GCE) have caught Martinez (EUS) at the 7km mark.

12:49:10 - Brice Feillu In Chase Group

There is a chase group of about 12 riders in between the peloton and the leading trio. This includes yesterday's stage winner Brice Feillu.

12:51:17 - Comments from Cadel Evans

“No one seemed prepared to attack our group to I had to try something,” said the rider who finished 10th in stage seven to Arcalis, Cadel Evans. “It was really quite windy and I think this helped keep the group together; if you hit the front, it meant that it was hard to cause a split because those behind had so much more of an easier ride.”

Evans attacked the group that contained Contador, Kloden and Armstrong (AST) as well as the Schleck brothers (SAX), the Garmin pair of Wiggins and Vande Velde as well as last year’s winner Carlos Sastre (CTT) with about 3.5km to go in the first mountain stage. “Most of the guys seemed content to ride to the finish in formation but we’ve got to seize the opportunities.

“I attacked and felt good but the others caught up with me and that’s why Jurgen van den Broeck surged with about three kilometers to go.”

The Silence-Lotto team had good representation in this elite group but, according to Evans, “we would have had one more except that Matt Lloyd got caught up in an incident at a roundabout going through the town at the base of the climb.”

12:51:59 - 18 In Chase Group

At the 10km mark, Paulinho, Martinez and Uran are still in the lead. There's a group of 18 in pursuit of this trio.

12:53:28 - Wegelius Joins Lead Group

Charlie Wegelius (SIL) has caught up with the three stage leaders.

12:54:05 - Riders In Chase Group

The chase group includes Popovych (AST), Van den Broeck (SIL), Moncoutie (COF), Barredo (QSI) and 14 others...

12:55:13 - Kloden Attacks Peloton

The peloton has split. Andreas Kloden has attacked and he's being followed by Evans, Andy Schleck, Riblon, Van den Broeck, Kirchen and a number of other favorites.

12:57:44 - AG2R Leading Peloton

The Kloden group is about 100 meters ahead of the peloton with the yellow jersey. Nocentini has five team-mates at the head of the chase pack.

12:59:11 - 30" Between Kloden's Group & Yellow Jersey Peloton

There are 31 riders in the group containing Kloden. This is 30" ahead of the peloton that includes the yellow jersey as well as Armstrong and Contador.

13:01:49 - Casar Into The Lead

Casar has caught and passed the lead group. The Frenchman is now on the attack at the 14km mark and is in the lead of the stage.

13:03:17 - Casar Leads Yellow Jersey By 35"

Casar continues on alone at the front of the stage. There are a number of riders in between him and the peloton with the yellow jersey but onl 35" separates Casar from the bunch.

13:05:17 - Riders In Counter-Attack

The group with the counter-attackers includes: B. Feillu (AGR), A. Schleck (SAX), Evans SIL), Kloden (AST), Monfort (THR), Martin (THR)...

13:06:24 - Astana Leading Yellow Jersey's Peloton

The Astana team is at the front of the peloton that includes the yellow jersey. This group is 1'10" behind Casar at the 16km mark. The polka-dot group of 12 men is at 30" and between them is the group containing Kloden, Evans and Andy Schleck.

13:08:52 - Evans' Group Catches Feillu's Group

The group with Evans and A. Schleck have caught up with the polka-dot jersey's group.

13:09:56 - Names Of Escapees...

Van de Broeck, Wegelius, Paulinho, Zabriskie, Martinez, Txurruka, Efimkin, Pellizotti, Moncoutie, Kern, Uran, Fedrido are the riders who have just been caught by the Evans group.

13:11:04 - Evans On The Attack

Evans has attacked with 5km to climb. He is now riding with Zabriskie, Kern and Martinez.

13:12:56 - Evans Insists

Evans is still pushing on with his attack. He has been joined by four others but the Australian continues to set the pace of the pursuit of Casar.

13:14:33 - Situation With 18km Raced

At the 18km mark, Casar had a lead of 30" on Evans, Zabriskie, Martinez, Efimkin and Kern. The peloton was at 45".

13:16:49 - Casar Leads Evans' Quntet By 25"

Casar is 2.5km from the top of the climb. He has a lead of 25" on Evans, Efimkin, Zabriskie, Kern and Martinez.

13:17:49 - Astana-led Peloton At 1'00"

There is 35" between the Evans group and the peloton led by the Astana team. Casar remains in the lead of the stage.

13:18:44 - Evans Increases His Advantage...

Evans, Zabriskie, Martinez, Kern and Efimkin are now 25" behind Casar while the yellow jesrey's peloton is at 1'10".

13:19:36 - Casar Increases Lead

Casar is now 40" ahead of the Evans group of five. This is at the 22km mark of the stage. The summit of the Port d'Envalira is 1,000m away for the stage leader.

13:21:37 - Peloton At 1'25"

The Armstrong/Contador group is 1'25" behind Casar.

13:21:54 - Evans Doing All The Work

Of the five men in the chase only Evans has been at the front. He is being followed by Martinez (EUS), Kern (COF), Zabriskie (GRM) and Efimkin (ALM). They are 1km from the top of the first climb.

13:23:13 - Casar At The Top

Casar has led the stage over the summit of the Port d'Envalira.

13:24:13 - Evans Leads Armstrong's Group By 1'00"

Evans' quintet is about 50" behind Casar and about 1'00" ahead of the Armstrong group.

13:25:01 - Situation At Summit

At the top of the first climb the points were won by:

1. Casar 15pts

2. Kern 13pts - at 52"

3. Martinez 11pts - at 58"

4. Evans 9pts - at 58"

5. Efimkin 8pts - at 1'00"

6. Zabriskie 7pts - at 1'00"

7. Flecha 6pts - at 1'50"

8. Hincapie 5pts - at 1'50"

13:26:46 - Evans Attacks Descent

Evans has raced into the lead of his group after passing the summit. He now leads Efimkin, Martinez, Kern and Zabriskie on the descent.

13:28:22 - Casar Leads By 1'00"

The advantage of Casar to the Evans group is now 1'00".

13:28:48 - Peloton Back In France

The top of the first climb is also the border between Andorra and France. Casar continues to lead the stage by around a minute. Evans and Zabriskie are sharing the pacesetting of the chase group on the descent.

13:32:14 - Cancellara Catches Evans' Group

Three riders including Cancellara have caught up with the Evans group on the descent.

13:35:23 - Nine In Evans' Group Now

Hushovd (CTT), Cancellara (SAX), Flecha (RAB) and Hincapie (THR) have caught up with Evans, Efimkin, Martinez, Kern and Zabriskie on the descent.

13:36:38 - 45" Between Evans & Yellow Jersey

Casar currently leads the nine-man Evans group by 1'05" and the peloton with the yellow jersey, Armstrong and Contador is at 1'50".

13:37:23 - Cancellara In Swiss Champion's Colors

This is the first stage this year that Cancellara is racing in his national champion's outfit. He won the Swiss title on the Sunday before the Tour but raced the opening time trial in the Saxo Bank team outfit and since then he's been clad in yellow.

13:38:54 - Hushovd Goes Ahead

There is a sprint prime at the 67km mark. Hushovd is currently on the attack and have gained an advantage on the Evans group. He is seeking the four points for second place at the intermediate sprint.

13:42:04 - Hushovd Caught

Hushovd has been reeled in by Hincapie, Evans, Efimkin, Zabriskie, Martinez, Evans, Cancellara and Kern.

13:42:45 - 55" Between Evans & Astana-led Peloton

Casar continues to lead the stage. He is 55" ahead of the Evans group of nine. Then comes the peloton at 1'50".

13:43:26 - Evans Closing In On Casar

At the 41km mark, Casar is 45" ahead of the Evans group. The peloton is at 1'35".

13:45:25 - Casar Leads By 30"

The nine in Evans group are now 30" behind Casar.

13:48:22 - 10 In The Lead

Casar has been caught by: Evans (SIL), Efimkin (ALM), Hincapie (THR), Martinez (EUS), Cancellara (SAX), Hushovd (CTT), Zabriskie (GRM), Flecha (RAB) and Kern (COF) at the 50km mark.

13:51:18 - 10 Lead By 48"

The peloton is now 48" behind the Evans group of 10.

13:51:51 - Cancellara & Hushovd Insist On Making Evans Work

Cancellara and Hushovd have been gesturing to the others in the lead group to make Cadel Evans work. The Australian is trying to gain time for the general classification but the gestures seem to suggest that they want Evans out of the escape group.

Why would him surrender after establishing a lead that's currently 50" on his main rivals? LeTour.fr just spoke with Evans' mother Helen Cocks who is watching the race live on television at her home in Arthur's Creek near Melbourne. "This is real racing! This is incredibly exciting but it must be frustrating for Cadel," said Helen. "He has to do a time trial of 120km if he wants to make this work. He’s so marked and they won’t let him go nor will they work.”

13:59:22 - Peloton 40" Behind At Ax-les-Thermes

At the 57.5km mark, the peloton is 40" behind the Evans group of 10.

14:00:43 - 10 Losing Ground...

The Astana team is closing in on the 10 man escape group: it is 30" behind at the 59km mark.

14:01:51 - Flecha Attacks Lead Group

Flecha has attacked the 10-man escape group.

14:02:18 - Escape Almost Over...

Flecha has attacked just as the Astana team has the other escapees in its sights.

14:02:59 - Evans With Three

Cancellara has got his wish: for Evans to concede. The Australian is now with Zabriskie, Martinez and Kern and is about to be caught by the peloton.

14:04:30 - Six In The Lead

Hincapie (THR), Cancellara (SAX), Efimkin (ALM), Hushovd (CTT) and Casar (FDJ) are now 15" behind Flecha (RAB).

14:05:48 - Evans Caught At 63km

Evans, Zabriskie, Kern and Martinez were caught by the peloton at the 63km mark.

14:06:26 - First Sprint Due Soon...

Six together again... Flecha has been caught by Efimkin, Hushovd, Hincapie and Casar. Cancellara is no longer in the lead group. There is less than 1km to go to the first intermediate sprint.

14:08:12 - Hushovd Sprints Ahead

Hushovd has taken the six points for the sprint in Luzenac (67km).

14:09:05 - Results Of First Sprint

1. Thor Hushovd (CTT) 6pts

2. George Hincapie (THR) 4pts

3. Juan Antonio Flecha (RAB) 2pt

14:09:47 - Six In The Lead

Cancellara is back with the Hushovd group that's now at the frontof the stage.

14:10:11 - Hushovd Leading Points Classification

With his six points from the 67km mark, Hushovd has taken the lead in the race for the green jersey. He now has 111pts, five more than Cavendish.

14:11:06 - Peloton 30" Behind

At the 70km mark, the peloton is 30" behind Casar, Cancellara, Hushovd, Flecha, Hincapie and Efimkin.

14:15:15 - Luis Leon Sanchez Begins His Bid

Ignatiev and Luis Leon Sanchez have attacked the peloton at the 73km mark. They are 15" ahead of the peloton.

14:16:38 - Eight In The Lead

Sanchez (GCE) and Ignatiev (KAT) have caught the six escapees at the 75km mark. Ignatiev didn't even slow down he just powered past like the energizer bunny that he is.

14:18:50 - Two More Counter

Astarloza (EUS) and Rosseler (QSI) are now trying to catch the stage leaders.

14:19:40 - 10 In The Lead...

The counter-attack has caught the stage leaders at the 75km mark. There are now 10 in the lead: Hushovd (CTT), Cancellara (SAX), Flecha (RAB), Astarloza (EUS), Hincapie (THR), Efimkin (ALM), Casar (FDJ), Sanchez (GCE), Rosseler (QSI) and Ignatiev (KAT).

14:20:56 - 10 Lead By 40"

Hushovd's group is now 40" ahead of the peloton that's being led by a Lampre rider who is showing signs of wanting to join the escapees. This time check was taken at the 76km mark.

14:22:05 - The Old Moncoots Gives It A Nudge...

The peloton appeared prepared to allow the 10 escapees to gain an advantage but now Moncoutie (COF) is showing signs of wanting to bridge to the leaders. This has prompted a reaction from Voigt and others from the Saxo Bank team.

14:24:38 - Kern The Virtual Leader Of Climbing Classification

Kern (COF) was second over the summit at the 23.5km mark. He gained 13 points and is currently the virtual leader of the climbing classification.

14:26:30 - Two Go Ahead...

Sanchez (GCE) and Ignatiev (KAT) have attacked the lead group in the valley leading to the Col de Port.

14:27:35 - Sanchez Goes Solo

This is a stage designed for the strengths of Luis Leon Sanchez. The remarkable descender who can also climb fairly well, is now on the attack on his own at the front of the stage.

14:28:19 - 10 In The Lead Again...

Sanchez has been caught by the other nine escapees 1,000m from the site of the second intermediate sprint.

14:28:56 - Peloton At 1'00"

The peloton is 1'00" behind the 10 escapees who are about to contest the 2nd intermediate sprint of the eighth stage.

14:29:30 - Hushovd Leads Hincapie To Sprint Line

The points for the second intermediate sprint of the stage (in Tarascon-sur-Ariege, 84.5km) were won by:

1. Thor Hushovd (CTT) 6pts

2. George Hincapie (THR) 4pts

3. Fabian Cancellara (SAX) 2pts

14:30:52 - Hushovd Leads Cavendish By 11 Points

Hushovd is now 11 points ahead of Mark Cavendish in the sprinters' classification.

14:31:27 - Peloton At 1'15"

At the site of the sprint in Tarascon the peloton was 1'15" behind Hushovd's group of 10.

14:31:56 - Peloton 1'25" Behind At Feedzone

The the feedzone (85km), the peloton's deficit to the Hushovd group is 1'25".

14:35:42 - Sanchez Best On GC Of Escapees

Of the 10 men in front of the stage, the best on GC after seven stage is Luis Leon Sanchez (GCE). He began the stage in 24th place overall, 4'10" behind Nocentini.

14:41:02 - Comments From Luis Leon Sanchez

At the end of the seventh stage, one of the riders in the escape today admitted that he must concede his chance of a good GC result in this Tour de France. “I believe I have to forget the overall classification I will try to go with a breakaway to try and win a stage. The one of tomorrow between Andorra and Saint-Girons is one of the best to try that. I know the course because I saw it just before taking part in the Route du Sud. It should logically be a good opportunity for the breakers and I hope to be one of them.”

14:43:14 - Sanchez Attacks Lead Group

As promised yesterday, Sanchez is being aggressive today. He has attacked the lead group and has been followed by Ignatiev and Hincapie. This group is 1'40" ahead of the peloton.

14:44:12 - Pereiro Abandons!

The champion of the 2006 Tour de France, Oscar Pereiro (GCE) has quit the Tour de France. There are now 174 riders still in the race.

14:45:34 - Comments From Pereiro After Yesterday's Stage...

The 2006 Tour champion is now out of the race. Oscar Pereiro abandoned at the 90km mark. Yesterday he spoke about his race so far: “It is ta fact that no Caisse d’Epargne rider will finish within the top 5 in Paris but as well Luis León Sánchez, as Rigoberto Uran and Iván Gutiérrez who did a great job today by going with an early 9-man breakaway and finished the eighth on the line, showed that they are able to defend themselves pretty well in the mountains.

"For my part even if I was not feeling good at all at the beginning of the stage I did not finished very far from the group with all the favorites. I was dropped at only three kilometers from the finish and what I now hope is to have the possibility to win a stage as soon as possible.” That hope has now gone.

14:48:10 - Lead Up To 2'20"

At the 93km mark, the 10 escapees were 2'20" ahead of the peloton.

14:49:40 - Details Of Col de Port

The race is currently traversing the Col de Port - which, in its title is a little ambiguous as a "col" translates to "pass", as does a "port"... so in other words they are climbing the "Pass of Pass" (but let's not get bogged down in semantics).

This climb is ranked category-two. It is 11.4km long at an average gradient of 5.5 per cent. The top is 1,250m high and is at the 102km mark of the stage.

14:55:19 - Recent Winners Of Col de Port

This is the 31st time that a stage of the Tour has included the Col de Port. The recent winners of this cat-2 climb were:

2007 - Juan Manuel Garate (ESP)

2002 - Laurent Jalabert (FRA)

1998 - Roland Meier (SUI)

1997 - Laurent Brochard (FRA)

14:57:30 - Rosseler Dropped

Rosseler has been dropped by the lead group which is now 2'40" ahead of the peloton.

15:04:07 - Leaders 2,500m From 2nd Summit

Hushovd is the other rider to be dropped by the lead group that's now down to eight. This group is now 2,500m from the top of the Col de Port.

15:06:50 - The Eight Leaders...

The eight riders in the lead of the eighth stage are:

Fabian Cancellara (SAX)

Juan Antonio Flecha (RAB)

Mikel Astarloza (EUS)

George Hincapie (THR)

Vladimir Efimkin (ALM)

Sandy Casar (FDJ)

Luis Leon Sanchez (GCE)

Mikhail Ignatiev (KAT)

15:08:09 - Leaders At The Top Of The "Pass of Pass"

The points at the top of the Col de Port (102km) were won by:

1. Casar (FDJ) 10pts

2. Ignatiev (KAT) 9pts

3. Astarloza (EUS) 8pts

4. Flecha (RAB) 7pt

5. Cancellara (SAX) 6pts

6. Efimkin (ALM) 5pts

15:13:42 - Peloton At 2'55"

The peloton is 2'55" behind at top of Col de Port (102km). Thor Hushovd was caught just after the summit.

15:15:51 - History Of The Tour On LeTour.fr

This is the first time since the 10th stage of the 2000 Tour that theyellow jersey has been worn by an Italian rider. Rinaldo Nocentinicurrently leads Alberto Contador by six seconds. The last time acompatriot of Nocentini led the general classification was in 2000;that was when Alberto Elli had the 'maillot jaune' for four days.

Elli raced for the Telekom team at the time and he lost the jersey to Lance Armstrong in the 10th stage when he finished second to Javier Otxoa at Hautacam.

To discover some history of the Tour, be sure to click on the 'History' link on LeTour.fr and then open the search engine to discover all the stage winners of the race's long history as well as all classification leaders of each previous edition.

15:19:17 - 30.5km Between 2nd & 3rd Climb

The peloton is currently on the twisting descent of the col de Port. It is 2'45" behind the eight-man lead group. There are 30.5km between the top of the Port and the next ascent, the Col d'Agnes.

15:21:04 - Details Of Col d'Agnes

The third climb of stage eight is the Col d'Agnes. It's ranked category-one and is 12.4km long at an average gradient of 6.0 percent. The top is 1,571m above sea-level and this is at the 132.5km mark of today's stage.

15:22:03 - Third Ascent Of Col d'Agnes In Tour...

The Col d'Agnes has been raced during the Tour just twice before today. The winners of the point at the top were Robert Millar in 1988 and Marco Pantani in 1995.

15:23:31 - Leaders In Massat

The eight leaders are about to take the left turn that leads to the Col d'Agnes. They are currently in Massat, a town on the Ariege river that's at the 114.5km mark of the 8th stage.

15:27:18 - Peloton 2'35" Behind

The pace of the peloton is rapid as it approaches Massat. The Astana team is at the front of the bunch that's now 2'35" behind: Cancellara (SAX), Flecha (RAB), Astarloza (EUS), Hincapie (THR), Efimkin (ALM), Casar (FDJ), Sanchez (GCE) and Ignatiev (KAT).

15:30:04 - 60km To Go

The leading eight are 60km from the finish in St-Girons. Sanchez has been doing a lot of work at the front but they are sharing the turns of pace relatively evenly, although Efimkin is the one rider who is there to police the break for his AG2R team.

15:31:42 - Efimkin The "Winner" In Stage Nine Last Year...

The ninth stage of last year's Tour included seven climbs including a category-one ascent that peaked 26km from the finish in Bagneres-de-Bigorre. The stage was "won" by Riccardo Ricco and Vladimir Efimkin was second, 1'04" behind the Italian who would later fail a doping control. In effect, the Russian was the "winner" of the stage.

Efimkin is currently part of the eight-man escape group that is 2'00" ahead of the peloton.

15:35:31 - Leaders On Col d'Agnes

Rosseler has rejoined the leading group. He led the escape past the sign that marks the official start of the Col d'Agnes ascent. They are 2'00" ahead of the Astana-led peloton.

15:37:19 - Cancellara Has Been Dropped By Lead Group

With 11km to climb, Cancellara was dropped by the lead group.

15:39:00 - Three AG2R Riders Lead Peloton

The peloton is 2'00" behind at the foot of the Col d'Agnes. There are now three riders from the AG2R team at the front of the bunch. Nocentini is nestled in behind this trio and is surrounded by riders from the Astana team.

15:40:39 - Willems Attacks Peloton

Willems (LIQ) has attacked the peloton. There was no reaction from any other rider to his move. He is now in pursuit of the nine stage leaders.

15:43:44 - Peloton At 2'10"

Willems is 1'50" behind the escapees and the peloton is at 2'10" with 10km to climb on the Col d'Agnes.

15:44:18 - Ignatiev & Rosseler Dropped

Ignatiev and Rosseler have been ropped from the lead group.

15:44:40 - Four In The Lead

Casar has also been dropped. There are now four riders - Sanchez (GCE), Hincapie (GCE), Efimkin (ALM) and Astarloza (EUS) - now in the lead of the stage.

15:45:50 - Casar Back In Lead Group

Casar has caught back up with the four stage leaders, Efimkin, Hincapie, Astarloza and Sanchez.

15:46:38 - Andy Schleck Attacks

Andy Schleck has attacked the peloton after a brief stint in the lead of the bunch by Arvesen. The Saxo Bank leader has caught up with Cancellara who is now contributing to the pace.

15:47:31 - Schleck Well Marked

Schleck wasn't allowed to gain any advantage. There has been a swift reaction to his acceleration from the Astana riders - Kloden, Armstrong, Contador and Leipheimer... the group has, however, thinned out considerably.

15:48:21 - Schleck Continues His Move

Schleck has continued to push the pace. He is riding in front of a group of about 15 riders.

15:49:25 - 13 In Schleck's Group

There are 13 riders in the group that is being led by Andy Schleck - including Contador, Armstrong, Evans, and the yellow jersey.

15:50:08 - Yellow Jersey Dropped

The yellow jersey has been dropped because of the acceleration of Andy Schleck.

15:50:43 - 18 Riders In Andy's Group

The riders in the group that's riding away from Nocentini is: Andy Schleck, Leipheimer, Armstrong, Contador, Evans, Sastre, Van Den Broeck, Kirchen, Flecha, Frank Schleck, Sastre, Kloden, Vande Velde, Wiggins, Martin, Kreuziger, Nibali, Karpets...

15:53:46 - 40" Between Andy's Peloton & The Yellow Jersey

Nocentini is slipping out of the yellow jersey. He is currently 40" behind Contador's group.

15:54:31 - 50km To Go

The leaders are 50km from the finish. They have a lead of 1'15" on the Contador group that is now being led by the Astana team (and is therefore no longer named the "Andy Group"...).

15:55:50 - Four Stage Leaders

The four riders still in the lead are: Astarloza (EUS), Efimkin (ALM), Casar (FDJ) and Sanchez (GCE). They are 5km from the top of the Col d'Agnes.

15:57:54 - Sorensen Also In "Contador Group"

There is another Saxo Bank rider in the Contador group, it's one of the Sorensens but we cannot confirm which one for the moment.

15:59:26 - Contador Group At 1'20"

The Contador group is now 1'20" behind the four stage leaders and 30" ahead of the yellow jersey. There are 5km for the virtual leader of the Tour - Contador - to ride before reaching the summit of the Col d'Agnes.

16:00:13 - Yellow Jersey Returns

Nocentini has been able to catch up with the Contador group with 4km to climb.

16:03:17 - Efimkin Attacks Leaders

In the final kilometer of the 3rd climb, Efimkin has attacked the lead group.

16:07:19 - Casar Dropped

The attack from Efimkin was not in the final kilometer of the climb (as just reported), it came about 1,800m before the top. He has been chased down by Astaloza and Sanchez but Casar has not been able to respond.

16:08:14 - Efimkin Again!

Efimkin rode a few pedal rotations beside the resurgent Astarloza and Sanchez before attacking again. Once more the Russian has been reeled in by the two Spaniards.

16:08:57 - Casar 30" Behind

Casar is still fighting for his fourth place in the stage. He is 30" behind Sanchez, Astaloza and Efimkin. The peloton is 2'10" behind the three stage leaders.

16:10:21 - Wiggins: The Climbing Time Trialer!

Wiggins has reinvented himself for the 2009 Tour de France. The former pursuit specialist is turning into a climber. He was 12th in the seventh stage (finishing ahead of Frank Schleck, Levi Leipheimer and Lance Armstrong) and is now near the head of the peloton that includes all the GC favorites.

16:12:37 - Results Of Final Ascent

The points for the Col d'Agnes (at the 132.5km mark) were won by:

1. Astarloza (EUS) 30pts

2. Sanchez (GCE) 26pts

3. Efimkin (ALM) 22pts

4. Casar (FDJ) 18pts - at 18"

5. Hincapie (THR) 16pts - at 1'28"

6. Rolland (BBO) 14pts - at 2'05"

7. Zubeldia (AST) 12pts - at 2'45"

8. Leipheimer (AST) 10pts - at 2'45"

16:15:25 - Casar Rejoins Leaders

There are now four riders together at the front of the stage. They are: Efimkin, Sanchez, Astarloza and Casar.

16:16:38 - Double Points For Final Climb

The final climb carries double points today because it is ranked higher than category-two. Please note that first-place was worth 30pts, not 15 as some broadcasters just published.

16:19:43 - Kern: The New King Of The Mountains...

Christophe Kern (COF) was ranked third in the climbing classification at the start of the stage. He added another 13pts to his tally on the first climb and is now the new leader of the race for the polka-dot jersey.

16:21:18 - Hincapie At 1'10"

Hincapie was 1'28" behind at the top of the final climb. He is now 1'10" behind Casar, Sanchez, Efimkin and Astarloza. Rolland (BBO) is the sixth rider in the stage, he is at 2'13".

16:24:54 - Peloton 2'50" Behind

There are seven riders from the Astana team at the front of the peloton which is now 2'50" behind Sanchez's quartet.

16:25:57 - Hincapie Looking For Rolland...

Hincapie is now looking behind to see if Pierre Rolland is about to catch him. He seems uninterested in chasing the four leaders on his own.

16:28:30 - Two Stage Winners In Leading Four

Officially there are two stage winners in the leading group of four. Sandy Casar won the stage to Angouleme in 2007 and Luis Leon Sanchez won in Aurillac last year.

But Efimkin is the sentimental winner of the ninth stage from last year when he finished second, 1'04" behind some guy called Ricco in Bagneres-de-Bigorre.

16:33:04 - 25km To Go For Four Leaders

Sanchez (GCE), Efimkin (ALM), Astarloza (EUS) and Casar (FDJ) are less than 25km from the finish of the stage.

16:34:04 - Hincapie Caught By Peloton

There are now just four men ahead of the peloton. Hincapie has just been swallowed up by the Astana-led bunch. The brief flurry of action by Rolland (BBO) was essentially just to add a few climbing points to his tally. He too has been caught.

16:35:01 - Arvesen Attacks Peloton

As Armstrong began a discussion with Popovych at the front of the peloton, Arvesen (SAX) launched an attack. The Norwegian champion has been chased down by a rider from AG2R.

16:36:14 - Peloton At 2'35"

As it passes under the 25km to go sign, the bunch is 2'35" behind Sanchez's quartet.

16:36:38 - Nocentini's Lead Safe For Now

Although the peloton isn't closing in on the leaders, the yellow jersey appears to be safe for Rinaldo Nocentini. The highest ranked rider of the leading quartet is Luis Sanchez who is now 20km from the finish with a lead of 2'35". The Spaniard was 4'10" behind the Italian at the start of the eighth stage.

16:40:05 - Results Of Third Intermediate Sprint

The points for the third intermediate sprint of the stage - in Vic d'Oust (159.5km) were won by:

1. Sandy Casar (FDJ) 6pts

2. Luis Sanchez (GCE) 4pts

3. Mikel Astarloza (EUS) 2pts

16:44:13 - 15km To Go

The four leaders are 15km from the finish. They are 2'35" ahead of the bunch which has just reached the site of the final intermediate sprint.

16:46:30 - Peloton Conceding...?

It seems that the peloton is content to allow the four escapees to contest the race for stage honors. The AG2R team is leading the peloton just ahead of a selection of Astana riders. They are 2'30" behind but the French squad simply wants to protect its yellow jersey and, for the moment, they've achieved that.

16:49:07 - Efimkin Conserving Energy...

It would be a bold person to bet against Luis Sanchez to win this stage. The Spaniard has, however, been doing the most work of the escape. In the last 10 minutes he has been at the front of the four-man escape for 45 per cent of the time; Astarloz 31 percent, Casar 18 percent and Efimkin just six per cent.

16:52:45 - Lead Drops Slightly

The four escapees are in the final 10km of the stage. Their lead is now 2'10" on the bunch that has two riders from the Garmin team setting the pace.

16:53:52 - Peloton 10km From Finish

The peloton is now less than 10km from the finish. It is 2'10" behind Sanchez, Astarloza, Casar and Efimkin.

16:54:59 - No Attacks Yet...

The four leaders are less than 7km from the finish. Efimkin maintains his position at the rear of the group and he appears to be shaping up for an attack. He has been there to police the move as his team has the yellow jersey... but perhaps AG2R can now also win a stage.

16:58:35 - Casar Voted Most Aggressive...

The judges have awarded the Prix de Combativite to Sandy Casar (FDJ). He is still in contention for the stage win; along with his three escape companions, his is five kilometers from the finish.

16:59:39 - Astarloza Attacks

With 4.5km to go, Astarloza has attacked the lead group. Casar was the first to chase him down but now Sanchez and Efimkin have also caught up.

17:00:19 - Efimkin Flies Forward

Efimkin is looking for the stage win now. He hit out as soon as the leaders passed under the 4km to go mark. He has opened up a good gap and is committed to winning the stage.

17:01:07 - Efimkin's Redemption...?

Could this be the day that Efimkin get the reward that he should have received 12 months ago? He was second in the ninth stage last year and now leads the 8th stage by about 100m with less than 3km to go.

17:02:23 - 2km To Go

As the peloton passes under the 4km mark it is 1'55" behind the four leaders. But Efimkin doesn't care about the bunch: he's only thinking of the line. He is still in the lead with 2km to go.

17:03:02 - Trio Close In On Efimkin...

Casar and Astarloza are swapping off in pursuit of Efimkin but now Sanchez comes through for a turn with 1km to go.

17:03:44 - Sanchez Playing Patient Game

Sanchez appears able to reel in Efimkin but he's biding his time. It could be that he's run out of energy at the wrong time... but now he's coming at Efimkin...!

17:04:37 - Sanchez Takes The Victory

Sanchez was Mr Cool at the conclusion of the 8th stage. He waited patiently as Casar and Astarloza spent valuable energy chasing after Efimkin and then, in the dying meters the Caisse d'Epargne rider rode into the lead and took his second stage win in the Tour de France.

17:05:59 - Sanchez's Second Stage Victory

Casar jumped into the lead with about 250 meters to go but he was overtaken by a confident Luis Sanchez who won in Aurillac last year and is now the designated leader of the Caisse d'Epargne team on the day that Oscar Pereiro abandoned.

17:08:23 - Testing the system

This is a test of the system

18:00:16 - The Top 10 In Stage Eight

The escapees triumphed in stage eight. They held off the peloton by 1'54". The top 10 in the eighth stage is:

1. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP) GCE - 176.5km in 4h31'50" (38.957km/h)

2. Sandy Casar (FRA) FDJ - at same time

3. Mikel Astarloza (ESP) EUS at same time

4. Vladimir Efimkin (RUS) ALM at 3"

5. Jose Rojas (ESP) GCE at 1'54"

6. Christophe Riblon (FRA) ALM at 1'54"

7. Peter Velits (SVK) MRM at 1'54"

8. Sebastien Minard (FRA) COF at 1'54"

9. Jeremy Roy (FRA) FDJ at 1'54"

10. Thomas Voeckler (FRA) BBO at 1'54"