Tour de France stage 8 – Live coverage

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 8 of the Tour de France, the first day in the Alps.

Today's stage runs 150 kilometres through the Alps to Le Grand-Bornard, a regular fixture at the Tour de France.

Linus Gerdemann (2007), Frank Schleck (2009), Rui Costa (2013), and Julian Alaphilippe (2018) have all won in the town.

Today's final climb of the Col de la Colombière has also been a regular feature at the race, having been included on the route eight times since the turn of the millennium.

Here's our report on yesterday's stage 7, which saw Primož Roglič fall out of overall contention.

Not the best weather at the start as teams sign on for the day.

We should see the first battle between Ineos Grenadiers and Tadej Pogačar today. The Slovenian is now the overwhelming favourite for Tour victory and with Roglič out of the GC picture, the combined efforts of Richard Carapaz and Geraint Thomas might be all that can stop him repeating.

Thomas was briefly dropped on one of yesterday's climbs though, and said he was still struggling with his shoulder injury afterwards.

Carapaz, meanwhile, went on the attack for almost 15km but ended up taking no time at the finish.

Jumbo-Visma have no hope of challenging for yellow in Paris any more, but they will try to take it from Mathieu van der Poel with Wout van Aert today. Meanwhile, Jonas Vingegaard is likely to be their GC leader going forward. Here's the squad warming up ahead of today's stage.

We're 20 minutes away from the start of the stage now.

Tour de France stage hunt gets off to a complicated start for Simon Yates

Briton takes part in 29-rider breakaway but expends precious energy ahead of the Alps

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The riders are rolling out of Oyonnax now.

There's climbing from the off today with the Fôret d'Echallon, though it is uncategorised. It should be a nice springboard for the breakaway.

150km to go

And we're off! Attacks from the start on the climb.

Tao Geoghegan Hart and Wout Poels on the move now.

A number of riders dropped very early on, with all the usual suspects like the sprinters, lead-out men and Chris Froome.

145km to go / 5km done

Poels on his own out front now. Geoghegan Hart has dropped back and has several other riders with him.

Sepp Kuss, Michael Woods, Kenny Elissonde, Mattia Cattaneo, Sergio Henao, and Stefan De Bod are chasing with Geoghegan Hart.

Geraint Thomas is in trouble already! Not good for Ineos.

Poels is 20 seconds up on the peloton as he starts the wet descent.

136km to go / 14km done

It's all back together at the front now.

Michael Woods has reportedly crashed.

Thomas' group is 1.4 kilometres behind the front group at the moment. Quite a bit of distance.

1:30 between Thomas and the peloton. He's in a large group of dropped riders.

Mohoric in his polka dots is leading the peloton down the descent.

Colbrelli also pushing on. The intermediate sprint is up in 25 kilometres.

130km to go / 25km done

Nans Peters (AG2R) makes a move. Others follow. Still no break.

Pierre Latour and Rafal Majka – a key man for Tadej Pogacar – aren't in the front group.

Two minutes between the front of the race and the dropped riders.

Yet more attacks but nothing sticks. Michael Gogl crashes in the peloton.

120km to go / 30km done

Roglič is dropped from the peloton on these rolling roads.

Sonny Colbrelli makes a move.

Roglič 40 seconds down now. He's on his own. Thomas' group is 2:40 down.

There doesn't seem like much point in them continuing this race unless they can recover and help their teammates in the Pyrenees...

Up front it's a battle among the versatile sprinters as the intermediate sprint nears. Michael Matthews among those active along with Colbrelli.

All together still, and now Ineos are pushing at the front.

Porte is pushing on. Pogacar in third wheel and on the radio.

Latour is in Roglič's group of dropped riders, 1:30 down. Thomas' group of dropped riders is 3:45 down.

112km to go / 38km done

6km to the intermediate sprint. Mohoric back on the front. Still no breakaway.

BikeExchange chase Mohoric for their man Matthews.

Crash for Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar) but he's back up and running.

2km to the sprint point.

Matthews vs Colbrelli coming up!

20 points on offer, then 17 and 15.

Colbrelli kicks off the sprint from third wheel. Matthews reacts but can't pass.

The Italian champion takes the 20 points ahead of the Australian.

86 points for Colbrelli now. He's up to sixth place in the points classification.

Matthews moves to second place on 113 points.

Cavendish still leads on 168 points.

Roglič is in a group of around 2, 1:50 down. The Thomas group is over four minutes down.

ISN reports a sponsor lorry (Cochounou) stuck on the Côte de Mont Sassonex (not Colombière). Hopefully it can be moved quickly.

100km to go / 50km done

New attacks going at the front after the intermediate sprint.

A large group of riders off the front, including Pogacar.

Around 20 men off the front here.

Kwiatkowski is in that front group but not Carapaz as far as I can see. Another UAE rider is up there. They're 25 seconds up on the peloton.

McNulty is the UAE man up there.

94km to go / 56km done

The main peloton is coming back to that break now. Around 10 seconds back.

The third-cat Côte de Copponex now and Wout Poels attacks.

Roglič dropping from the group he was in.

Poels has 30 seconds on the peloton.

More riders trying to get away from the peloton without much success.

Attack from Elissonde as he tried to make it away from the peloton.

88km to go / 62km done

Poels crosses the top of the climb alone, 40 seconds up on the peloton.

Michael Woods among those trying to attack from the peloton.

35 seconds from Poels to the peloton. It still hasn't slowed up here. An average speed of 48kph so far.

80km to go / 70km done

Soren Kragh Andersen (DSM) is chasing Poels.

They're hitting the fourth-cat Côte de Menthonnex-en-Bornes now.

The lorry has reportedly been moved now, so no trouble ahead.

Kragh Andersen is brought back by a chase group on the climb. Poels still ahead.

Benoot, Quintana, Cattaneo, Valverde, Kragh Andersen in this group between Poels and the peloton.

Poels crosses the top of the climb for a point. There are reportedly around 17 riders chasing him.

Castroviejo, Simon Yates, Juul-Jensen in the chase group.

They're 40 seconds down while the peloton is 1:40 down.

UAE and Ineos at the front of the peloton as things have settled down.

An imcomplete list of riders in the chase group...

Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Søren Kragh Andersen, Tiesj Benoot (Team DSM), Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), Simon Yates, Chris Juul-Jensen (BikeExchange), Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic), Mattia Cattaneo (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Michael Woods (ISN), Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R Citroën), Ion Izagirre (Astana-Premier Tech), Sergio Henao (Qhubeka NextHash), Victor de la Parte (TotalEnergies)

The group is 48 seconds down on Poels now. The peloton is 2:20 down on the Dutchman.

70km to go / 80km done

A downhill run to the valley now. The next climb starts in around 20km.

Latour's group is at 7:30 (four minutes behind Pogačar) and the Roglič-Thomas group is 12:30 (nine minutes behind Pogačar) down.

The weather is still horrible out there, by the way. A very wet day.

60km to go / 90km done

15 seconds between the chase group and Poels. The peloton is a further 3:30 back.

Poels and the chasers will be starting the Côte de Mont-Saxonnex soon. That's the first first-cat climb of the day – it's 8.8km at 8.9 per cent.

The Giro Donne peloton tackled Prato Nervoso today on stage 2 of the race.

Check out our report on the action here.

Rui Costa works at the head of the peloton for UAE.

Pogačar and Van der Poel chat further back.

Valverde is dropping back from that lead group, which has come together with Poels now. He'll be helping Miguel Angel Lopez and Enric Mas.

The break hits the climb now.

BikeExchange push the pace at the front.

51km to go / 99km done

Now Valverde stops and gets help to put on a jacket. It seems that he is probably suffering with the cold rather than stopping to help his teammates.

Latour's group is 2:30 behind the Pogačar peloton. Yellow jersey Van der Poel is still in there.

BikeExchange continue to drive at the front. Armirail is just about holding on at the rear of the break.

Five minutes back to the peloton from the break now. It's only going up.

Nans Peters now at the back of the break not looking great. 1.5km to the top of the climb.

A look at the front of the peloton a little earlier on.

Peters is dropped from the break.

Juul-Jensen continues to drive. 1km to the top.

Elissonde and Kuss attack for the points at the top.

Poels closes in.

Poels takes it over the top.

Ion Izagirre misses a turn on the descent and goes off course – still on a road so he hasn't crashed. 

He, Peters and Armirail were out the back of the breakaway.

Benoot and Kragh Andersen jump off the front on the way down.

De la Parte and Julien Bernard caught by the peloton after dropping from the break.

10 points for Poels over the top there.

Stefan De Bod has crashed on the descent and is being tended to by the race doctors. He's moving and looks to have hit a well-placed soft barrier in front of a sign at the side of the road.

Vingegaard was also involved in that crash but is up and running again.

37km to go / 113km done

Kragh Andersen and Benoot continue out front and Kragh Andersen is a minute away from virtual yellow. Benoot drops away as they start the Col de Romme (8.8km at 8.9 per cent).

De Bod is back up and running now.

A look at the profiles of these two cat-one climbs – the Col de Romme and the Col de la Colombière.

Michael Woods (ISN) has attacked the break and flown straight past Kragh Andersen. Ineos control the peloton, which still contains Van der Poel.

5:50 between the leaders and the peloton.

Simon Yates is also attacking. Poels, Quintana, Cattaneo a bit further ahead but still behind Woods.

The break has blown up here.

UAE back in control of the peloton with McNulty and Formolo. Some riding from the 'weakest' of the GC teams as many commentators have proclaimed them.

Kruijswijk, Nibali among those dropping from the peloton. Uran and Van Aert at the rear.

33km to go / 117km done

5km to the top of the climb. Van der Poel is dropping.

McNulty's work is done and Formolo takes over. Pogačar behind him. Van der Poel is gone.

Carapaz and Tao Geoghegan Hart are right behind Formolo and Pogačar.

Fuglsang is dropped. Uran and Van Aert too.

Uran makes an effort to get back. Van Aert is gone for good, though.

Some shots of the carnage on the Romme.

Formolo continues to push on.

Carapaz onto Pogačar's wheel as it Geoghegan Hart drops away.

Lopez, Alaphilippe, Gaudu, Vingegaard, Mas, Fraile next in line behind Pogačar and Carapaz.

Still awful conditions out there. Heavy rain.

Porte moves to the front of the peloton now.

31km to go / 119km done

Still 3km to the top for the leaders, who we haven't seen in a while.

Vingegaard has en exposed shoulder from where he fell earlier on. He's still right up there, though.

Uran back at the rear and Geoghegan Hart still hanging on.

O'Connor and Kelderman near the back of the group.

Pogacar attacks!

Carapaz the only man able to give chase. Vingegaard attempts to do so further back.

Porte, Geoghegan Hart, Alaphilippe out the back.

No response from Lopez, Gaudu, Vingegaard and the others. 

It was already clear that Pogačar and Carapaz were a class apart among the GC men, though.

Pogačar goes again.

They're 3km from the top and Carapaz is having a hard time keeping up.

Pogačar has a gap on Carapaz.

Remember that the Ecuadorian needs minutes on Pogačar with another time trial to come. He's currently 1:36 down on him.

Up front, Ion Izagirre and Guillaume Martin have joined the leaders. They're still chasing Woods, by the way.

Woods is 700 metres from the top.

Pogačar reportedly has 40 seconds on Carapaz already...

I thought Carapaz might have more in him than this, to be honest. Pogačar is dominant.

Pogačar is 3:55 down on Woods. Van Aert almost two minutes back while Van der Poel is almost five back.

29km to go / 121km done

Woods crosses the top alone. He's a minute up on the chasers.

Poels jumps away from the chase group for some extra mountainpoints. Quintana takes third ahead of Martin. 

Yates, Cattaneo, Izagirre, Teuns follow.

Another 4km of riding until Woods hits the base of the Colombière.

55 seconds between Pogačar and Carapaz.

Carapaz reaches Castroviejo as they cross the top of the climb. The rest of the GC group a little further back but still together.

1:20 is the latest update from Pogačar to Carapaz. 

3:05 between Woods and Pogačar as they head downhill.

A look at the attacking before Pogačar flew away.

Woods 1:15 up on the chase as he starts the Colombière.

7.5km at an average of 8.5 per cent to the top.

Woods told me before the start of the Tour that he and his team wanted to be opportunistic at the race. He was planning for a GC bid but those hopes were laid to rest after he was caught up in the crashes on the opening days. Now he's pivoted to stage wins and things are going perfectly for him so far today.

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Still a minute between Pogačar and Carapaz.

New timing shows the chase 35 seconds behind Woods now. 

Pogačar 2:40 down, Carapaz 3:50 down, Van Aert 5:00 down.

20km to go / 130km done

Pogačar takes a bottle from a soigneur at the side of tthe road. 5km to the top for Woods.

Teuns has pushed on from the chase group. He's alone in pursuit of Woods.

Pogačar crosses the 20km banner.

3km to the top for Woods, who has now been joined by Teuns.

Pogačar now only 1:30 down on the leaders with 17.5km to go.

Carapaz is two minutes (!) behind.

Van Aert 2:30 behind Pogačar.

Pogačar passes Guillaume Martin and Poels.

Pogačar on the big ring up this 8.5 per cent mountain.

He's catching Yates now and is under a minute behind the leaders.

Pogačar sails past Yates. Just Izagirre and the two leaders left to go. 1.5km to the top.

Time gaps...

The two leaders are 45 seconds up on Pogačar.

Pogačar is now 2:30 and counting ahead of Carapaz. Van Aert 4:20 down.

16km to go / 134km done

They're in the final kilometre of the Colombière now.

Pogačar catches Izagirre. 

Teuns is alone out front as he reaches the final 500 metres of the climb.

15km to go / 135km done

Pogačar almost with Woods now...

Woods passed and dropped. Just Teuns left to catch, if he can.

Teuns crosses the summit.

Pogačar down the descent now. Not sure on the time gap to Teuns.

Carapaz only just crossing the summit.

10km to go

Inside the final 10 for Teuns as he descends.

Latest report is just under 30 seconds between Teuns and Pogačar.

Yep, 30 seconds.

Carapaz is 3:45 behind Teuns.

Pogačar won't be taking risks here to catch Teuns. Izagirre and Woods are back with him.

That is 3:15 between Pogačar and the his main GC rival Carapaz at the moment.

5km to go

Teuns gaining on the chasers. He's 40 seconds up now and taking a few risks in the corners.

Pogačar virtually in yellow by 1:40 over Van Aert. Lutsenko third at 4:45 and Carapaz at 4:50.

A drag up to the finish in the final kilometre but Teuns nnow has 45 seconds so he should be fine.

3km to go

Pogačar and his companions around 800 metres behind Teuns.

2km to go

It's in the bag for Teuns now.

Van der Poel is currently 18:15 down, if you were wondering.

1km to go

Teuns kilometre of celebration upcoming. Another stage win for Bahrain.

Dylan Teuns takes his second career Tour stage win in Le Grand-Bornard.

Pogačar leads the trio towards the line.

Izagirre and Woods pass him in the final sprint. No bonus seconds for Pogačar.

Izagirre second at 45 seconds, Woods next, then Pogačar.

Now for the long wait for Pogačar's rivals.

Here they come! Carapaz was caught by the other GC men. They finish over four minutes down.

Another fun and normal day at the Tour de France!

Here's Teuns celebrating his win.

Alex Dowsett with his opinion of stage 8.

Pogačar leads the GC by 1:48 ahead of Van Aert now.

Lutsenko is third at 4:38, Urán is fourth at 4:46, Vingegaard is fifth at 5:00 and Carapaz is a further second behind.

Here's what Teuns had to say after the stage...

"Super amazing. Until now I had a difficult year aiming for similar goals but never coming close. Finally, I can celebrate.

"It wasn't easy tactically. In the beginning it was a lot of stress. It was hard to get a group in the front with 60 guys full on and on. Then Wout Poels was aiming for the climber's jersey so he was up there alone. That made it easier because we could follow the wheels and never having to force anything.

"Then we made the first group. The second-last climb was worse because [BikeExchange] started from the bototm really hard and it was hard to folow the pace but I came back nicely, eh.

"I had it for the last climb and at the top I heard 1:15 or something. I was thinking if I can make the top with a minute I should be OK for the descent.

"It's just amazing to win in the Tour. It's a nice taste. It's an honour to my granddad who died just before the Tour. That's why I pointed to the sky. It was a bit emotional for me this last 10km."

Here's our report on this first mountain stage of the Tour. Full text, gallery and results to come in time.

Tour de France: Tadej Pogacar crushes rivals on mountainous stage 8

The main GC group came in at 4:09.

Van Aert 5:45 was down. Fuglsang 15:50. Alaphilippe 18:55. Nibali, López and Van der Poel 21:47.

54 riders home now, the last at 28:41. The time cut is reportedly 37:33.

Tour de France: Which GC riders lost time on the first day in the Alps

Game over in the general classification for Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas as Pogacar distances all of his rivals

Pogačar back in yellow.

Arnaud Démare was the last man home today, 35:34 down on Teuns and just a couple of minutes under the time cut.

Thomas, Roglič and green jersey Cavendish finished at 35:01 in the autobus.

A short gallery of Pogačar after his ride, from UAE Team Emirates.

Pogacar: I could be my own biggest rival at the Tour de France

Slovenian minutes ahead on GC after dominant Alpine display on stage 8

We'll have news and reaction from Michael Woods, Dylan Teuns, Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and more coming through the evening.

Van der Poel is out of yellow but he enjoyed his time in the lead of the Tour de France.

Luke Rowe's summary of stage 8...

Ineos Grenadiers boss Brailsford says 'expect the unexpected' at Tour de France

Carapaz the last GC challenger to resist Pogacar attacks, while Thomas 35 minutes off the pace

Some tales from the breakaway via stage winner Dylan Teuns...

Tour de France: Teuns continues Bahrain Victorious’ remarkable run at Le Grand-Bornand

and Michael Woods, who was one of the last men standing and took third...

Woods 'comes apart' in sight of Tour de France breakaway win

“We’re dead but we’re not buried. We’ve got to look for chances and see what opportunities we have,” Jumbo-Visma DS Merijn Zeeman told Cyclingnews after Primož Roglič lost 35 minutes on stage 8.

Read the full story here

Meanwhile, new yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogačar has said that "I haven't killed the Tour, there's still a long way to go."

Here's what Geraint Thomas had to say after losing 35 minutes and falling out of the GC race today. It doesn't sound like he's going to leave the race yet...

"The crash has taken a lot more out of me than I thought. You always get through some days and talk yourself into it, you’ll get better, but yeah it was a super hard stage, a hard start, I was on the back foot straight away and that was it.

"It was a wet day, hard roads, I had no chance to come back. After a lot of hard work since January, to finish 33 minutes down, it’s not really what I wanted. It’s tough on the head as much as anything else. There have been a lot of sacrifices to get here. 

"I got through it anyway and tomorrow is another day."

Mathieu van der Poel’s dream week in Tour de France yellow ends in Alps

Dutchman considers abandoning on Monday as Olympic Games beckon

The Tour de France has been tough on the head, says Geraint Thomas

Ineos Grenadiers rider finishes with the sprinters in the Alps

That's about it for us today on a big day at the Tour de France. Look out for a few more pieces still to come tonight, and we'll be back tomorrow with more live coverage in the Alps as the peloton heads to Tignes.