Thibaut Pinot Wins Eighth TDF Stage

Getty Images

Bradley Wiggins retained the overall lead as French youngster Thibaut Pinot took a superb win on stage eight of the Tour de France.

Wiggins held off a late attack by Cadel Evans on the final descent into Porrentruy in Switzerland to remain 10 seconds clear of the 2011 winner.

Pinot, the youngest man in the Tour at 22, hit the front 2km from the end of the final climb, the Col de la Froix.

Despite the overall leaders closing in, he held on to claim victory.

Evans took second place but Wiggins crossed the line in the same time to ensure no change at the top of the general classification.

The frenetic first 60km of the 158km from Belfort claimed another casualty as Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez briefly lost consciousness after hitting his head in a crash.

The Spanish Euskaltel rider was stretchered off to hospital with a broken collarbone which is likely to prevent him from defending his Olympic title in London on 28 July.

Monday's stage is the first of two longer individual time trials - 41.5km from Arc-et-Senans to Besancon - in which Wiggins will aim to put more time between himself and his rivals for the yellow jersey.

Stage eight result:

1. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat - 3h56:10

2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC - @26"

3. Tony Gallopin (Fra) RSH - - @26"

4. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Sky - @ 26"

5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas - @26"

6. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto - @26"

7. Chris Froome (Ita) Liquigas - @26"

8. Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha - @26"

Overall standings:

1. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Sky - 38 hours, 17 mins, 56 seconds

2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC - @10"

3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas - @16"

4. Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha - @54"

5. Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack - @59"

6. Chris Froome (GB) Sky - @1:32