Tour de France: Michael Rasmussen wins stage 8
{{date|July 15, 2007}}__noTOC__
{{Tour de France 2007}}[[Image:Michael Rasmussen 2005 TdF Stage 20 St Etienne ITT.jpg|thumb|left|Michael Rasmussen wears the polka dot jersey on stage 20 of [[w:2005 Tour de France|2005 Tour de France]]. {{Image source|[[Commons:User:Gsl|Gsl]]}}]]
[[w:Michael Rasmussen|Michael Rasmussen]] has won stage 8 of the [[w:2007 Tour de France|2007 Tour de France]] and has captured the overall lead. He blew away [[w:David Arroyo|David Arroyo]] of [[Spain]] and [[w:Stéphane Goubert|Stéphane Goubert]] on the final climb. [[w:Iban Mayo|Iban Mayo]] took second. In the end, Arroyo and Goubert were overtaken by the chase group. 

Rasmussen, the [[Denmark|Danish]] mountain specialist who has won the ''King of the Mountain'''s [[w:Polka dot jersey|polka dot jersey]] the last two years, maximized the number of points he could collect in today's mountain stage.

[[w:Michael Rogers|Michael Rogers]] of [[Australia]] had looked to be in position to take the [[w:Yellow jersey|yellow jersey]], when he hit a barrier and hurt his wrist in the crash. [[w:Stuart O'Grady|Stuart O'Grady]] also crashed and is out, leaving only two Australians in the Tour.

This, the third-shortest road stage in this year's Tour, was very tough. The climbing started from the outset, with two small climbs in the first 25 [[w:Kilometre|km]]. At 75 km out, the first big test was [[w:Cormet de Roselend|Cormet de Roselend]] (a 19 km climb at 6%). This was followed by the [[w:Montée d'Hauteville|Montée d'Hauteville]] - the start of the [[w:Little St Bernard Pass|Col du Petit Saint-Bernard]] - and the climb up to [[w:Tignes|Tignes]] (18 km at 5.5%) for a very difficult finish at a height of 2068 m.

[[w:Mark Cavendish|Mark Cavendish]] of [[United Kingdom]] withdrew 35 km into today's stage. The sprinter had already planned to pull out, but not this soon.

'''Stage 8 results''' 
# Michael Rasmussen (Den / RAB ) 4 hrs 49 mins 40"
# Iban Mayo (Spa / SDV ) +2:47"
# Alejandro Valverde (Spa / CDE) +3:12"
# Christophe Moreau (Fra / AG2R ) +3:13"
# Fraenk Schleck (Lux / CSC ) s.t.
# Cadel Evans (Aus / PDL ) s.t.
# Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz / AST) s.t.
# Alberto Contador (Spa / DSC ) +3:31"
# Denis Menchov (Rus / RAB) +3:35"
# Carlos Sastre (Spa / CSC ) s.t.

'''Overall classification''' 
# Michael Rasmussen (Den / RAB) 39:37:42"
# Linus Gerdemann (Ger / TMO ) +43"
# Iban Mayo (Spa / SDV) +2:39"
# Alejandro Valverde (Spa / CDE) +2:51"
# Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz / AST) +2:52"
# Cadel Evans (Aus / PDL) +2:53"
# Christophe Moreau (Fra / AG2R ) +3:06"
# Alberto Contador (Spa / DSC) +3:10"
# Fraenk Schleck (Lux / CSC) +3:14"
# Denis Menchov (Rus / RAB) +3:19"

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/6899837.stm
|title=Rasmussen climbs into Tour lead
|author=Martin Gough
|pub=BBC Sport
|date=July 15, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/6899421.stm
|title=Stage eight: Le Grand-Bornand to Tignes
|author=Matt Braithwaite
|pub=BBC Sport
|date=July 15, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/6896785.stm
|title=Cavendish pulls out of debut Tour
|author=
|pub=BBC Sport
|date=July 15, 2007}}

{{publish}}
{{Archived}}

[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Cycling]]
[[Category:2007 Tour de France]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:France]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michael Rasmussen wins stage 8}}
[[fr:Tour de France cycliste 2007 : 8e étape]]
[[pl:Michael Rasmussen wygrał 8. etap Tour de France 2007]]
__noTOC__
2005 Tour de France. 
Michael Rasmussen has won stage 8 of the 2007 Tour de France and has captured the overall lead. He blew away David Arroyo of Spain and Stéphane Goubert on the final climb. Iban Mayo took second. In the end, Arroyo and Goubert were overtaken by the chase group. 

Rasmussen, the Danish mountain specialist who has won the King of the Mountain's polka dot jersey the last two years, maximized the number of points he could collect in today's mountain stage.

Michael Rogers of Australia had looked to be in position to take the yellow jersey, when he hit a barrier and hurt his wrist in the crash. Stuart O'Grady also crashed and is out, leaving only two Australians in the Tour.

This, the third-shortest road stage in this year's Tour, was very tough. The climbing started from the outset, with two small climbs in the first 25 km. At 75 km out, the first big test was Cormet de Roselend (a 19 km climb at 6%). This was followed by the Montée d'Hauteville - the start of the Col du Petit Saint-Bernard - and the climb up to Tignes (18 km at 5.5%) for a very difficult finish at a height of 2068 m.

Mark Cavendish of United Kingdom withdrew 35 km into today's stage. The sprinter had already planned to pull out, but not this soon.

'Stage 8 results' 
# Michael Rasmussen (Den / RAB ) 4 hrs 49 mins 40"
# Iban Mayo (Spa / SDV ) +2:47"
# Alejandro Valverde (Spa / CDE) +3:12"
# Christophe Moreau (Fra / AG2R ) +3:13"
# Fraenk Schleck (Lux / CSC ) s.t.
# Cadel Evans (Aus / PDL ) s.t.
# Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz / AST) s.t.
# Alberto Contador (Spa / DSC ) +3:31"
# Denis Menchov (Rus / RAB) +3:35"
# Carlos Sastre (Spa / CSC ) s.t.

'Overall classification' 
# Michael Rasmussen (Den / RAB) 39:37:42"
# Linus Gerdemann (Ger / TMO ) +43"
# Iban Mayo (Spa / SDV) +2:39"
# Alejandro Valverde (Spa / CDE) +2:51"
# Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz / AST) +2:52"
# Cadel Evans (Aus / PDL) +2:53"
# Christophe Moreau (Fra / AG2R ) +3:06"
# Alberto Contador (Spa / DSC) +3:10"
# Fraenk Schleck (Lux / CSC) +3:14"
# Denis Menchov (Rus / RAB) +3:19"


fr:Tour de France cycliste 2007 : 8e étape
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