Chris Froome (Sky) en route to victory in stage 8 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R La Mondiale) would be the last member of the early break to be caught once the climbing started on stage eight (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tour leader Daryl Impey (Orica GreenEdge) conceded nearly eight minutes and the maillot jaune to Chris Froome (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) in action during stage 8 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) soloed to victory at Ax 3 Domaines and took over the Tour de France lead on the first day in the Pyrenees. (Image credit: AFP)
Tour de France leader Daryl Impey (Orica GreenEdge) awaits the start of stage 8 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Pierre Rolland (Europcar) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
In addition to winning stage 8 and taking over the yellow jersey, Chris Froome also took over the lead of the mountains classification (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) animated stage 8, the Tour's first day in the Pyrenees (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) signs autographs prior to the start of stage 8 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) in action during the Tour's first day in the Pyrenees (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Cadel Evans (BMC) digs deep to try to limit his losses (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Cadel Evans (BMC) fights to the finish at Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Dutch champion Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM) at the head of the early break (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Previous Tour de France champions Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Cadel Evans (BMC) ride alongside each other in stage 8 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The peloton en route from Castres to Ax 3 Domaines in stage 8 at the Tour de France (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Points leader Peter Sagan (Cannondale) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Stage 8 winner Chris Froome (Sky) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Movistar teammates Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde with Juan Antonio Flecha (Vacansoleil-DCM) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Daryl Impey (Orica GreenEdge) resplendent in the maillot jaune during stage 8 to Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) in action during stage 8 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) dons the white jersey for leading the young rider classification (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome shadows his Sky teammates (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
New young rider classification leader Nairo Quintana (Movistar) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The peloton en route from Castres to Ax 3 Domaines in stage 8 at the Tour de France (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Saxo-Tinkoff's Roman Kreuziger and Alberto Contador approach the finish of stage 8 and would concede 1:45 to winner Chris Froome (Image credit: Sirotti)
Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) is escorted to the finish in Ax 3 Domaines by teammate Roman Kreuziger (Image credit: Sirotti)
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) finished 11th on the Tour's first summit finish, more than two minutes behind winner Chris Froome (Image credit: Sirotti)
Rui Costa (Movistar) in a world of pain at the finish on Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Haimar Zubeldia was the highest placed RadioShack Leopard finisher at Ax 3 Domaines in 19th at 3:04 (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (RadioShack Leopard) near the finish in Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) would lose the best young riders jersey to Nairo Quintana at Ax 3 Domaines. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Pierre Rolland (Europcar) finished 22nd at Ax 3 Domaines, nearly four minutes down on Chris Froome (Image credit: Sirotti)
Nicolas Roche (Saxo-Tinkoff) at the finish in Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
John Gadret (AG2R La Mondiale) nears the finish of stage 8 in Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
2011 Tour de France champion Cadel Evans (BMC) lost more than four minutes to stage 8 winner Chris Froome (Image credit: Sirotti)
Cadel Evans (BMC) tries to limit his losses as he nears the Ax 3 Domaines finish line (Image credit: Sirotti)
French hopeful Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) lost six minutes to stage 8 winner Chris Froome (Image credit: Sirotti)
Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Maxime Monfort (RadioShack Leopard) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Overnight Tour leader Daryl Impey (Orica GreenEdge) fought valiantly in defense of the yellow jersey, but would surrender the maillot jaune to Chris Froome in Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Robert Gesink (Belkin) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Stage 2 winner and former yellow jersey holder Jan Bakelants (RadioShack Leopard) climbs to the finish (Image credit: Sirotti)
The peloton en route from Castres to Ax 3 Domaines in stage 8 at the Tour de France (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) stamsp his authority on the Tour de France peloton (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) went out on the attack on stage 8's penultimate climb, the HC-rated Col de Pailhères (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Calm before the storm as the peloton rolls along flat terrain prior to the two huge climbs which capped off stage 8 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) gets some encouragement (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) attacked to animate stage 8 and took over the young riders classification (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Richie Porte (Sky) finished second to teammate Chris Froome on the Tour's first day in the Pyrenees (Image credit: Sirotti)
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) en route to a third place finish on Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Belkin teammates Bauke Mollema and Laurens ten Dam finished fourth and fifth on Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Bauke Mollema (Belkin) leads teammate Laurens ten Dam to the finish at Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Chris Froome (Sky) showed he's the man to beat at the Tour de France with his stellar climbing performance to Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) gets some relief from the heat (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) dons the maillot jaune after winning stage 8 in Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Stage 8 winner Chris Froome (Sky) took over the Tour de France lead from Daryl Impey (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) cools off with some water (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) resplendent in yellow (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) has plenty to be happy about after stage 8 at the Tour de France (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome (Sky) alone in the lead to the Ax 3 Domaines finish line (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
A familiar sight as Sky takes control as the road tilts upward (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Richie Porte made it a 1-2 finish for Sky on Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Chris Froome (Sky) en route to victory on Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Chris Froome (Sky) dropped his GC rivals and soloed to victory in Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Chris Froome (Sky) celebrates victory at the 2013 Tour's first mountain finish at Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
A happy Chris Froome (Sky) took a decisive solo victory at Ax 3 Domaines, the first mountain finish of the 2013 Tour. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Chris Froome (Sky) shows his appreciation for his team's work on the stage. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Chris Froome (Sky) on the podium after winning stage 8 in Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Stage 8 winner Chris Froome (Sky) on the podium at Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
For the first time in Chris Froome's career he dons the maillot jaune at the Tour de France. (Image credit: Sirotti)
After winning stage 8 at Ax 3 Domaines, Chris Froome (Sky) is the new leader of the Tour de France (Image credit: Sirotti)
Tour de France leader Chris Froome (Sky) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Chris Froome (Sky) solos to victory on Ax 3 Domaines (Image credit: Sirotti)
Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge) at the front as the flag is about to be dropped for stage 8 (Image credit: AFP Photo)
Team Sky took control of the race on stage 8 (Image credit: AFP Photo)
The RadioShack team camper was searched by authorities (Image credit: AFP Photo)
Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) made the breakaway on stage 8 (Image credit: AFP Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R) tried to re-live his 2010 victory on Ax-3 Domaines, but the breakaway was caught (Image credit: AFP Photo)
Chris Froome put his stamp on the Tour de France, claiming the win in the first high mountain stage of this year's race. He soloed to finish at Ax 3 Domaines after a five kilometer solo flight to claim not only the stage but also the leader's yellow jersey. It was a double win for Team Sky, as Richie Porte finished second at 50 seconds, with Alejandro Valverde taking third at 1:08.
Most of the other favourites suffered and showed weaknesses on the climb in high summer temperatures. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was the best of the bunch, with Belkin's Bauke Mollema and Laurens Ten Dam putting in surprisingly strong performances, but Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, and Cadel Evans all lost much time.
“I couldn't be happier,” said Froome after the stage. “It has been a nervous week leading up to this.” He thanked his teammates and said that he wanted to win today “to pay them back.”
Froome now leads the race by nearly minute over Porte, with Valverde third at 1:25 down. Mollema and Ten Dam jumped to fourth and fifth, with Kreuziger one spot ahead of his captain in sixth, both with a time of 1:51. Former race leader Daryl Impey lost 7:50 and dropped out contention in 31st place overall.
It was an impressive show by Froome, who along with Porte, appeared not to struggle at all on the closing climb, when compared to the rest of the field. One by one, Froome's rivals dropped back, but the two Sky riders pedaled along easily and quickly.
Contador lost a surprising 1:45, with Schleck at 3:34 down and Evans losing more than four minutes. It was a brutal shake-up of the GC and the favourites on only the first real climbing test.
How it unfolded
It was a hot and sunny day for the opening mountain stage beginning in Castres. Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM) attacked just as the flag was dropped for the stages's sharp start, and was soon joined by Jean-Marc Marino (Sojasun), Christophe Riblon (AG2R) and Rudy Molard (Cofidis). Their gap soon jumped to nine minutes on the flattish opening two-thirds of the stage.
The only interesting happening in the early part of the stage came at the day's only intermediate sprint at km 119.5. The four escapees took the top points but there was quite the sprint out of the field. Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol) took the honours of fifth place, followed by green jersey Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-QuickStep).
That sprint seemed to mark the beginning of the serious racing. Sky moved up towards the front for Froome, as did Belkin for Bauke Mollema and Saxo-Tinkoff for Contador. The gap started to come down as they all started up the gradual ascent towards the race's first hors categorie climb, the Col de Pailhères.
With just under 50km to go, the gap at the two minute mark and the actual ascent still to come, Hoogerland attacked out of the lead group – but without success.
The foursome had only a 1:06 lead when the climb officially started, and almost immediately Riblon attacked in hopes of repeating his success of the last time the Tour de France used this route for a stage finish in 2010. Hoogerland and Marino gave chase, while Molard was not up to the challenge. The Frenchman quickly built up a lead over his former escape companions, while at the other end of things, the sprinters and other non-climbers quickly started forming the gruppetto.
Robert Gesink of Belkin was the first to attack out of the peloton. He quickly pulled away, as the three former escapees faded back into the field. Inevitably, the next to attack was Thomas Voeckler of Europcar.
Many big names were dropped, including Damiano Cunego (Lampre Merida). The group got smaller and smaller, with yellow jersey Daryl Impey struggling to hang on to the end of the field. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) was the next to launch an acceleration, and he soon caught Voeckler, who was struggling, and left him behind.
Quintana moved easily up to Gesink, and soon dropped the Dutchman. With 34 km to go, he also caught Riblon, but by this time the chase group, which contained about 30 riders, was only some 45 seconds back.
That wasn't enough for Quintana, who continued to ride smoothly and easily, and dropped Riblon. Former mountains classification leader Pierre Rolland (Europcar) was the next to attack out of the field, and was soon followed by Igor Anton (Euskaltel). Rolland passed Riblon before the mountain ranking, as did Anton, and eventually, the chase group.
Meanwhile, Quintana, who had been given the OK by team captain Alejandro Valverde to keep going, was one of the few who looked comfortable on the climb.
Froome, Cadel Evans (BMC), Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff), and Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Leopard) were amongst those still in the first chase group, while Tejay van Garderen (BMC) was dropped surprisingly early.
The passage was lined with fans all the way to the top, and Quintana crossed over with a 27 second gap over Riblon. Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) was the next, a few seconds ahead of the chase group at 55 seconds.
Quintana lost time on the descent, perhaps looking to make it up again on the closing climb. There was no chance to catch one's breath, as that next climb started again almost immediately. In fact, Rolland caught him at the bottom, with the Froome group only 22 seconds back. but the Colombian again pulled away on the closing climb. Evans, Schleck, Dan Martin and Andrew Talansky (Garmin Sharp) were the next victims, both riding alone and being dropped.
That left about 10 riders in the Froome group with some 6.5km to go, including Froome, Contador and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana). But the Dane was one of the next to be dropped, along with Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).
Five riders – Froome, Valverde, Contador, Porte and Kreuziger – were left. Contador was difficulty keeping up with the Sky train, which not so slowly had rolled its way up to Quintana.
The Colombian was caught with 5 km to go, as Contador, Kreuziger and Valverde dropped back. That was the cue for Froome to attack, and away he went. Quintana tried to hold on to his wheel, but soon dropped back to Porte.
Evans was going backwards, passed by rider after rider. Up front, Valverde had fought his way up, giving Porte the impulse to take off. Contador still had Kreuziger with him, but their gap to Froome was getting larger and larger.
With 2 km to go, Froome continued on alone, pushing hard to build up as much of a lead as possible, knowing that his rivals were weakening. Porte rode happily behind him, looking back occasionally to make sure the was still ahead of the others.
Contador had many problems, falling further and further back, but Froome just flew along, with plenty of time for a joyous celebration at the finish.