Dan Martin and Roman Kreuziger give chase down the Col De Peyresourde after a flying Chris Froome (Photo: Sirotti)
Taking the race by the scruff of neck as it went over the summit of the final climb of the day on the Tour de France; Chris Froome got a gap and held it all the way to the finish line.
He took not only stage victory but also the race lead for Team Sky.
And while it was a fantastic performance by a man who has won this race twice overall before, the Kenyan-born Briton denied Dan Martin and Irish cycling a huge day.
Martin was in the group with Froome – the Etixx-QuickStep man looking nothing short of majestic on the climbs.
And when Froome flew down the descent solo and took victory after his attack over the top of the Peyresourde, Martin led home those just behind; winning the sprint from the group to take a brilliant 2nd place.
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But had Froome not be clear alone, Martin would have very likely taken the gallop from the group and taken away the stage win and the time bonuses with it, Martin would be in the Tour’s yellow jersey.
As things stand, with the 13 seconds Froome pulled out of the group and the 10 seconds bonus for the stage win, he now leads the race from Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge) but 16 seconds, with Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) in 3rd on the same time.
Then comes Martin in 4th place, just one further second back.
Froome was too good physically and tactically for everyone else in the group and by denying Martin the stage win he also denied him the yellow jersey (Photo: Sirotti)
And while second on a stage and 4th overall thus far on the world’s biggest bike race is not to be sniffed out, Martin had fought hard to try and taken some time out of the others in the sprints earlier in the week but was simply outfoxed by Froome today.
The Team Sky leader took the 10 second bonus, Martin six seconds for 2nd place and Rodriguez took four seconds for 3rd place.
The stage took the riders 183km from Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon with an early breakaway of 13 going clear.
However, as the riders hit the Tourmalet the escapees had been caught – except for the dogged Arnold Jeannesson (Cofidis).
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However, when Jeannesson it was left for new escapees in the form of Rafal Majka (Tinkoff), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) to lead the way in a really strong small escape.
Pinot was first up the climb, apparently more intent or rider for climbers’ jersey that the GC after losing lots of time already on the race.
But by the top of the final climb they had been caught, as Team Sky and Movistar put in a blistering pace.
Martin takes the sprint from the select group but it was Froome who had already made his move and run out the big winner on the day (Photo: Sirotti)
They pressed hard after the escape up the Tourmalet, Hourquette d’Ancizan and Val Louron.
But by the top of the Peyresourde when Froome attacked and left the others in a battle for 2nd on the day, which Martin won.
The Irish rider nodded his head a little as he crossed the line, very much in sense of what might have been.
But eight days into this race he still looks like he is in the form of his life, looking extra comfortable today when Team Sky and Movistar shred the race.
Meanwhile, Katusha’s Michael Mørkøv became the first ride to abandon the race, the Dane having struggled since his crash in the bunch sprint on stage 1 when he clipped the crowd control barriers.
One of the men he brought down that day was Ireland’s Sam Bennett and the Bora-Argon 18 rider has really found the going hard since he crashed such was the extent of his injures.
However, he battled so well again today over the big climbs and came home in a big group 39:24 down.
Stage 8: Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon (183km)
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 4:57:33
2 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:00:13
3 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
4 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
5 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff Team
6 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team
7 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-BikeExchange
8 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
9 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
10 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team
11 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
12 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
13 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Lampre - Merida
14 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky
15 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 0:01:41
161 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18
General Classification
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 39:13:04
2 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-BikeExchange 0:00:16
3 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
4 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:00:17
5 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:19
6 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:23
7 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team
8 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
9 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
10 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
11 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky
12 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff Team 0:00:34
13 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Lampre - Merida
14 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:01:51
15 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Cannondale-Drapac 0:01:55
197 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18 1:53:20
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