[themaclad]

Always a masssive shame when someone goes on a 100 plus kilometre break to be caught in the last 20 of the race, some great scenery also however cut the face of De Gaulle in a field deserves a prize

Biniam Girmay claimed his second win in the Tour de France in a sprint finish on stage eight as Tadej Pogacar retained the leader's yellow jersey.

Intermarche-Wanty's Girmay, who won stage three to become the first black African to triumph on the Tour, timed his effort to perfection on the uphill finish in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises.

Alpecin-Deceuninck's Jasper Philipsen and Arnaud de Lie, riding for Lotto-Dstny, were second and third respectively on the 183.4km route from Semur-en-Auxois.

UAE Team Emirates rider Pogacar crossed the line in the main bunch and remains 33 seconds clear of second-placed Remco Evenepoel in the general classification (GC).

In the home and final resting place of former French president Charles de Gaulle, Eritrean Girmay extended his lead in the green jersey competition over Philipsen to 88 points.

"It is unbelievable to win twice," said Girmay. "I just want to say thanks God for everything.

"This victory I need to give to my mother and my father. They gave me all the support to become a professional cyclist.

"I liked this slightly uphill finish because the heavier sprinters cannot really compete."

Uno-X Mobility's Jonas Abrahamsen, who spent more than 165km at the front of the race before being reeled in by the peloton with 14km remaining, continues to lead the king of the mountains classification.

The GC riders are expected to feature more prominently on Sunday's 199km stage around Troyes, which includes 14 gravel sections.


Stage eight results
1. Biniam Girmay (Eri/Intermarche-Wanty) 4hrs 04mins 50secs

2. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Deceuninck) Same time

3. Arnaud de Lie (Bel/Lotto-Dstny) "

4. Pascal Ackermann (Ger/Israel Premier Tech) "

5. Marijn Van Den Berg (Ned/EF Education-EasyPost) "

6. Ryan Gibbons (SA/Lidl-Trek) "

7. Anthony Turgis (Fra/TotalEnergies) "

8. Fred Wright (GB/Bahrain-Victorious)

9. Alex Aranburu (Spa/Movistar) "

10. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick Step) "

General classification after stage eight
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 31hrs 21mins 13secs

2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick Step) +33secs

3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 15secs

4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +1mins 36secs

5. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 16secs

6. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 17secs

7. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +2mins 31secs

8. Mikel Landa (Spa/Soudal-Quick Step) +3mins 35secs

9. Matteo Jorgenson (US/Visma-Lease a Bike) 4mins 03secs

10. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus/Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe) +4mins 46secs

[ritchiebaby]

I've missed most of the last few days thanks to my local Civic Week events. Back to normal today for the gravel sections on Stage 9. A difficult day ahead for some when the TdF will not be won, but might be lost for one or two riders.

[themaclad]

On today's route the town of Essoyes were Renoir was buried, bit of agravelly stage lots of getting off the bike and running at one point, top four still cruising. Ben Healy is a good up and coming rider

[themaclad]

Britain's Tom Pidcock was pipped on the line as France's Anthony Turgis won the ninth stage of the Tour de France.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider was narrowly beaten in the final sprint at the end of a frantic 199km stage in Troyes that included 14 gravel sections.

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar retained the leader's yellow jersey and animated the stage with attacks on several occasions on a day that tested the credentials of all the general classification riders.

Pogacar, of UAE-Team Emirates, leads Remco Evenepoel of Soudal-Quick Step by 33 seconds overall, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike in third, one minute 15 seconds further back.

While Pogacar and Evenepoel sought to get up the road at various times prior to Monday's rest day, the Dane was less adventurous and content to neutralise their moves having had to swap bikes with Jan Tratnik after an early mechanical issue.

On the one occasion he was caught out, with about 20km remaining, his American team-mate Matteo Jorgenson superbly dragged him back onto the wheel of Pogacar as all the general classification riders came back together at the end.

"I ride with my heart and today was a day to do it," said Pogacar, who appeared bemused by Visma-Lease a Bike's strategy.

"They only look at me and they underestimate the others. It could backfire," added the 25-year-old, who is attempting to complete the first Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double since 1998.

While there was little movement towards the top of the overall standings, Canada's Derek Gee - who was also in the breakaway with Pidcock and Turgis - was rewarded by moving inside the top 10 by finishing third.

Adam Yates, who is riding in support of Pogacar, is the highest-placed British rider overall, sitting almost five minutes behind his team-mate.

Prior to the start of the stage the Uno-X Mobility team led a moment of applause in memory of Andre Drege, the Norwegian cyclist who died aged 25 in a crash at the Tour of Austria on Saturday.

The race now travels west to Orleans in the heart of France and continues on Tuesday with a 187.3km run into Saint-Amand-Montrond.

Tour de France stage nine results
Anthony Turgis (Fra/Total Energies) 4hrs 19mins 43secs

Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time

Derek Gee (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) "

Alex Aranburu (Spa/Movistar) "

Ben Healy (Ire/EF Education-EasyPost) "

Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana Qazaqstan) "

Javier Romo (Spa/Movistar) +12secs

Jasper Stuyven (Bel/Lidl-trek) +18secs

Biniam Girmay (Eri/Intermarche-Wanty) +1min 17secs

Michael Matthews (Aus/Jayco AlUla) Same time

General classification after stage nine
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 35hrs 42mins 42secs

2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick Step) +33secs

3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 15secs

4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +1mins 36secs

5. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 16secs

6. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 17secs

7. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +2mins 31secs

8. Mikel Landa (Spa/Soudal-Quick Step) +3mins 35secs

9. Derek Gee (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) +4mins 02secs

10. Matteo Jorgenson (US/Visma-Lease a Bike) 4mins 03secs