This was meant to be a day to shake up the top order of the general classification and allow the favourites for the Tour to demonstrate how well they’re climbing.
The finish at Super-Besse is not on a mountain but a hill but the conditions were such that it was perfect for gains in the general classification. On wet roads the main animators of the action were Tejay Van Garderen (THR) and Rui Costa (MOV) who had been part of a nine-man escape group that began its attack at the sixth kilometre. They would ignite the attacks on the closing climbs while the yellow jersey’s peloton steadily thinned out as it made its way through the mist on the Col de la Croix Saint-Robert and onward to the finish at Super-Besse.
Costa responded to Van Garderen’s testing moves and then, with 4.5km to go on the second last climb, the Portuguese rider was in the lead of the stage. He stayed there through to the finish and won by 12 seconds from the one rider who was able to break the grip of the yellow jersey and his peloton if title favorites: the one and only Philippe Gilbert who is back in the green jersey.
It was cool at the start of the eighth stage of the 2011 Tour de France with a temperature of 15 degrees at the sign on. One rider was absent from the start; Chris Horner (RSH) was forced to abandon because of injuries sustained in a crash in stage seven. There were 189 riders at the start of the stage from Aigurande to Super-Besse. The stage featured four categorized climbs including the first cat-2 ascent of the 98th Tour.
The climbs were: at 65.5km (cat-4 at Evaux-les-Bains), 119.5km (cat-4 at Rocher des Trois Tourtes), 164km (cat-2 at col de la Croix St-Robert) and the finish (cat-2 at Super-Besse). The intermediate sprint was in Auzances at 83km.
After six kilometres of racing at a fast pace, Riblon (ALM) launched an attack and drew eight others with him: Costa (MOV), Zandio (SKY), Engels (QST), El Fares (COF), Zingle (COF), van Garderen (THR), Gautier (EUC) and Kolobnev (KAT). By the 25km they were 1’25” ahead of a BMC-led peloton. Costa was the highest ranked of the escape after seven stages and by the 45km mark, he was the virtual leader as the break had 4’30” on the peloton. The average speed for the first hour was a rapid 48.4km/h. El Fares took the first climbing point; the peloton was led by BMC for the opening stanza of the stage.
At the It was 5’15” behind the escape. The leaders ambled to the line for the intermediate sprint and only Riblon was prepared to race ahead for points. He took 20 for first in Auzances. The peloton had been 6’10” behind (at 75km and this was the maximum gain of the escape) but Omega Pharma-Lotto set up a lead-out train and delivered Gilbert to the line to take 10th place. Cavendish started to sprint but sat up before the line and took 13th place. All nine BMC riders were at the front for much of the stage. At the second climb the peloton was at 4’55”. The average speed for the third hour was 37.9km/h.
Cadel Evans’ BMC team spent 100 per cent of the second and third hours with riders at the front of the peloton. At the start of the fourth hour, Astana put two riders into the paceline at the front when the bunch was 4’40” behind the escapees. With 40km to go, Garmin-Cervélo joined Astana at the front of the bunch that was at 3’05”. On the descent before the third climb, three Omega Pharma riders set the tempo with Gilbert keeping a close eye on what others near the front were doing.
At the base of the third climb, the peloton was 1’55” behind. Van Garderen launched at attack in the first 100m of the ascent and only Gautier and Costa could chase him down. In the first kilometer, Tiralongo (AST) attacked and was joined by Txurrka (EUS) and Rolland (EUC). Hoogerland (VCD) was next to speed ahead of the peloton after 2km on the climb, he was followed by Flecha (SKY).
At the top, Van Garderen got maximum points he was just ahead of Costa. Vinokourov surged ahead of the peloton with 3km to climb. He joined forces with Tiralongo, Flecha and Zandio just after the summit.
With 20km to go, Vinokourov’s quaret was 1’25” behind Van Garderen, Riblon, Gautier and Costa. The peloton was at 1’55”.
With 15km to go Riblon attacked the lead group but couldn’t shake the three others. Van Garderen tried a similar move with a similar result and the four were all together again with 10km to climb.
Vinokourov go to within 20” of the stage leader (inside the final 2km) but he just couldn’t close the gap to the inspired Portuguese rider from the Movistar team. Rui Costa maintained his advantage all the way up the final climb and although the GC guys started to attack each other – with Contador trying a move on the last hill, followed by Cunego, and then Evans, it was only Gilbert who could break free of the peloton that swallowed up Vinokourov somewhere in the final 2km.
The second place for the Belgian champion propelled him back into the lead of the points classification. Hushovd finished 16th and will keep the yellow jersey for another day at the Tour de France.
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