France's Kadri wins 8th Tour de France stage in first of 3 days of climbs in Vosges mountains

7/12/2014
ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Cycling-Tour-de-France-flag

    A girl waves a French flag as the pack passes during the eighth stage of the Tour de France.

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    • 8e798595-3701-47d6-bda1-5d6a84e2544bGERARDMER, France — Blel Kadri of France has won the eighth stage of the Tour de France in a breakaway as the race entered the Vosges mountains. Vincenzo Nibali appeared set to keep the yellow jersey.

    With his first Tour stage win and the first for a French rider this year, Kadri emerged from a five-man breakaway that chiseled out a large lead early in 100-mile ride from Tomblaine to Gerardmer La Mauselaine ski resort.

    The ride featured two mid-grade climbs and a short uphill finish, the first of three days in the mid-sized Vosges range near the German border.

    None of the breakaway riders threatened Nibali’s yellow jersey: The highest-placed among them began the stage nearly 26 1/2 minutes back.

    Nibali was with his main rivals, several minutes behind Kadri.