Peters wins stage as Yates retains lead

LOUDENVIELLE, France: Nans Peters took his first career Tour de France stage win from a breakaway on stage eight in to Loudenvielle.

The Ag2r-La Mondiale rider led home the survivors of a 13-man group who went away early on the 141km stage from Cazeres-sur-Garonne as the race moved into the Pyrenees.

A French stage win was much needed for home fans on a day when their primary hopeful to end a 35-year-wait for overall victory, Thibaut Pinot, cracked on the Port de Bales as injuries suffered in an opening day crash told.

The Groupama-FDJ rider has been receiving daily treatment since hitting the deck hard in Nice, but cracked early on the first hors catégorie climb of the Tour as the main peloton took six minutes out of him before the summit.

The sight of a team-mate draping a consoling arm around Pinot’s shoulder midway up the climb indicated his Tour hopes are over even before the first rest day.

Adam Yates was made to fight all the way to hold on to his yellow jersey as he faced a series of attacks on the Col de Peyresourde, the final climb of the day, but each time the Mitchelton-Scott man responded to retain his three-second advantage over Primoz Roglic.

Julian Alaphilippe went first but quickly blew and was spat out of the back, his overall challenge now over.

Yates was distanced three times as Roglic tried to get clear, but each time the Bury rider remained calm and paced his way back on to the wheels of his rivals.

Tadej Pogacar, among the riders to lose 81 seconds in the crosswinds on Friday, did get away to recover some time but there was no change at the very top of the standings.