Stage 8

The road

At the start

Into Switzerland, uphill to Lausanne

Pogačar beat Vingegaard in a sprint on the gravel of the Super Planche and leads him by 35 seconds, with Geraint Thomas at 1:10 and Adam Yates at 1:18. The Tour crosses into Switzerland for two days before the high Alps: 186 kilometres to Lausanne over four modest climbs and a third-category rise to the Olympic stadium, whose last 800 metres flatten to 3.4 per cent. A day for a breakaway.

How it was won

1. 1171 km to go

   The yellow jersey goes down early

   A massive crash in the opening twenty kilometres takes down Pogačar himself. He remounts unharmed and it proves to have no consequence at all — but the whole race holds its breath.

2. 249 km to go

   Pinot's afternoon from hell

   Frison cracks and drifts back covered in salt, leaving Cattaneo to lead Wright over the top. Then Pinot goes down mid-bunch on the climb, and in the feed zone a soigneur holding out a musette punches him squarely in the face. He gathers himself and chases back on.

3. 34 km to go

   Wright caught as the road tilts

   Pogačar comes forward with Majka to help finish the job, and the last survivor of the break is swept up with three and a half kilometres left. The uphill drag into Lausanne thins the bunch but every favourite is still there.

4. 4At the line

   Van Aert surges in Lausanne

   Van Aert launches on the category 3 rise to the Olympic stadium and holds off Matthews, tightening his grip on green. Pogačar, attentive as ever, takes third and the four-second bonus, pushing his lead over Vingegaard out to 39 seconds.

The result