Stage 8

The road

At the start

Ramps of 28 percent to the line

Chavanel has held red for four days and the top eight are covered by 49 seconds. Today crosses the first-category Mijares and two second-category climbs and then finishes up to San Lorenzo de El Escorial, whose ramps reach 28 percent — possibly the steepest finish ever used in a Grand Tour. Whatever the earlier climbing leaves intact, the last kilometre will not.

How it was won

1. 1116 km to go

   Seven and a half minutes

   Haussler and Montaguti lead over the first-category Puerto de Mijares with the peloton 7:32 adrift, and Fouchard and Palomares bridge across on the far side to make a leading quartet.

2. 210 km to go

   Taaramäe reshuffles it

   With the break down to under two minutes and ten kilometres left, Rein Taaramäe attacks out of the bunch and takes Madrazo, Moncoutié, Bakelants and Poels with him — a fresh escape formed precisely to spoil Katusha's afternoon.

3. 35 km to go

   Into the last five kilometres

   The finish at San Lorenzo de El Escorial has ramps of 27 percent, and the field does not so much split as disintegrate on them.

4. 41 km to go

   Scarponi hits the 20 percent

   Near the top, on the steepest pitch, Michele Scarponi goes for it, which is the correct move and also exactly what Joaquim Rodriguez has been waiting for.

5. 5At the line

   San Lorenzo de El Escorial

   Rodriguez goes past him on the cobbles and is never headed: a second stage win and the red jersey. Wiggins loses twenty seconds and nineteenth place on the day, and now sits 1:43 down with a 47-kilometre time trial still in front of him.

The result