Tour de France 2018 Stage 8: Groenewegen strikes again, Van Avermaet still leader

The Tour de France's 8th stage travels from Dreux to Amiens. Dylan Groenewegen is the fast finisher who parties on Bastille Day. Peter Sagan sprints to second place, John Degenkolb to third. Greg Van Avermaet retains the maillot jaune, while Daniel Martin loses time after a crash with 16 kilometres to go. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 8th stage 2018 Tour de France

1. Dylan Groenewegen (nld)
2. Peter Sagan (svk) s.t.
3. John Degenkolb (ger) s.t.
4. Alexander Kristoff (nor) s.t.
5. Arnaud Démare (fra) s.t.
6. Thomas Boudat (fra) s.t.
7. Nikias Arndt (ger) s.t.
8. Mark Cavendish (gbr) s.t.
9. Yves Lampaert (bel) s.t.
10. Andrea Pasqualon (ita) s.t.

120. Daniel Martin (irl) + 1.16
124. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) s.t.

GC after the 8th stage
1. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
2. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 0.07
3. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 0.09
4. Philippe Gilbert (bel) + 0.16
5. Bob Jungels (lux) + 0.22
6. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.49
7. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 0.55
8. Rafal Majka (pol) + 0.56
9. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 0.57
10. Richie Porte (aus) s.t.

11. Mikel Landa (spa) + 0.59
12. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
13. Adam Yates (gbr) + 1.06
15. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 1.12
16. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 1.21
17. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 1.22
19. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 1.27
20. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 1.30
22. Romain Bardet (fra) + 1.49
24. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 2.06
26. Nairo Quintana (col) + 2.14
31. Daniel Martin (irl) + 2.47

Race report
Marcus Burghardt goes solo at km 2. Nobody is interested in joining him. He stops as nature calls and then he is back in the peloton.

Laurens ten Dam initiates another attack tens of kms later. Marco Minnaard and Fabien Grellier join him. Ten Dam stops his efforts when their lead is 6 minutes and waits for the peloton.

A crash with 16 kms to go takes down Dan Martin and he is forced to chase. By then Minnaard and Grellier are almost caught.

Grellier is the last rider to be reeled in, with 6.5 kms to go. In the ensuing sprint Sagan opens early. Three fast men overhaul him, with Dylan Groenewegen fastest. André Greipel and Fernando Gaviria sprint to second and third place, but they are relegated due to shutting the door (Greipel) and head-butting (Gaviria). So eventually Peter Sagan sprints to second place, John Degenkolb finishes third.

Greg Van Avermaet pockets a time bonus of 1 second in the last intermediate sprint and extends his lead to number two Geraint Thomas to 7 seconds.

Daniel Martin crosses the line 1.16 after the sprinters.