”

Todays Stage 8 was more like a circus than a race, with the numbers of riders being shelled, you needed an Elephant to clean up the mess”.

This was the kind of stage that Micheal Rasmussen could have only dreamed about. It suited his style perfect, and the GC guys are either hurt (Vino) or as Levi claims “not going to peak until the Pyrenees”. Well we saw the crash of Vinokourov, so we know that he has a reason to be having troubles. But Levi, well only time will tell. That being said, if Levi can “peak” as he says he will, then we can expect one heck of race up the Pyrenees Mountains. That only leaves us to ask the question. Will Rasmussen have the same problems in the time trial that he had in 2005. Will he be able to retain the Yellow Jersey in Paris. “Two years ago I came pretty close to ending up on the podium if I hadn’t been fiddling around on pavement,” remembered Rasmussen of his disastrous crash-riddled time trial. “It’s crossed my mind that one time in the future if the [route] was in my favor [that could be rectified]. I think this could be the year.”

The Rabobank rider shot out of the main field midway through the 165km, six-rated-climbs run to Tignes, then methodically picked off the remnants of an 18-man breakaway until he was alone at the front. From there the former world mountain bike champion tapped out an unmatchable tempo that stopped the clock in 4:49:40, giving Rasmussen his third career Tour stage victory and a 43-second lead over former GC leader Linus Gerdemann (T-Mobile).

Spaniard Iban Mayo (Saunier Duval-Prodir) moved up to third overall, at 2:39, after taking second Sunday. Countryman Alejandro Valverde (Caisse D’Epargne) was third at 3:12, with both riders playing central roles in an epic final climb battle that saw all the expected overall contenders save one having to show their cards.

T-Mobile’s Michael Rogers was the missing man. The Aussie crashed hard on the descent of the Cormet de Roseland, the first of three successive cat. 1 climbs that concluded the stage. Rogers slammed into the guardrail moments after Spaniard David Arroyo (Caisse d’Epargne) went flipping over it.

Making the initial selection was a star-studded group that included Mayo, Valverde, Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto), Christophe Moreau (Ag2r), Discovery Channel teammates Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer and Yaroslav Popovych, Carlos Sastre and Frank Schleck (both CSC), Denis Menchov (Rabobank), Gerdemann, and the Astana trio of Andreas Klöden, Andrey Kashechkin and Alexandre

VINO: “I don’t feel any pain in the knees, but I had some cramps in the legs,” said Vinokourov, who patted Klöden on the back in an expression of gratitude after the pair finally crossed the finish line. “I wasn’t bad until the final 3km and it was really hard. We will see what happens in the coming days. If I am feeling better, I will attack. There’s still hope. You cannot forget the time trials and the Pyrenees, which are very hard this year. This Tour isn’t finished.”

LEVI:“I was just following and trying to stay steady,” the Discovery team leader said. “It’s a long race. I was okay today but I wasn’t super. I think I’ll be better in the Pyrenees. Today I had to limit losses on guys like Moreau and Mayo, the guys who are riding better than me right now.” “That was tough because the peloton was in pieces so I had to go through a lot of dropped riders to get back on,” added the California resident, who benefited from a lengthy car-aided push while his team mechanic leaned out the back window to address an apparent mechanical issue with his replacement bike.

STAGE 8 RESULTS (top 20)
1 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 4.49.40 (34.18 km/h)
2 Iban Mayo Diez (Spa) Saunier Duval – Prodir 2.47
3 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 3.12
4 Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance 3.13
5 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor – Lotto
7 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana
8 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel 3.31
9 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 3.35
10 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC
11 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 3.59
12 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel
13 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Saunier Duval – Prodir
14 Manuel Beltran Martinez (Spa) Liquigas 4.13
15 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
16 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quickstep – Innergetic 4.29
17 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
18 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana
19 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
20 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) T-Mobile Team 5.05
FULL RESULTS by Cycling News

Teams
1 Rabobank 14.37.07
2 Caisse d’Epargne 1.47
3 Astana 2.04
4 Team CSC 2.28
5 Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 5.03

General classification after stage 8
1 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 39.37.42
2 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) T-Mobile Team 0.43
3 Iban Mayo Diez (Spa) Saunier Duval – Prodir 2.39
4 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 2.51
5 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana 2.52
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor – Lotto 2.53
7 Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance 3.06
8 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 3.10
9 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 3.14
10 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 3.19
11 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC 3.35
12 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 3.46
13 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 3.53
14 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 3.54
15 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 4.00
16 Manuel Beltran Martinez (Spa) Liquigas 4.19
17 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quickstep – Innergetic 4.22
18 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 4.51
19 Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile Team 5.02
20 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Lampre – Fondital 5.03
21 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 5.14
22 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 5.23
FULL RESULTS: by Cycling News

FULL REPORT by Cycling News
THE FINAL 1 km by Versus
STAGE 8 RECAP by Versus
LEIPHEIMER INTERVIEW by Versus
ROGERS & ARROYO CRASH by Versus
GRAHAM WATSON PHOTO’S