10 Jul 2011

Rui Costa wins eighth stage of Tour

7:29 am on 10 July 2011

Portuguese rider Alberto Rui Costa of the Movistar team hung on during a tense finish to win the Tour de France eighth stage, a 189-kilometre ride from Aiguirande to Super-Besse.

Norwegian Thor Hushovd of Garmin-Cervelo upset predictions to retain the race leader's yellow jersey on the first day in the mountains of the Massif Central.

He retained his one second lead over Australian Cadel Evans of BMC, who retains second spot overall after his third-place finish in the eighth stage.

Hushovd was expected to lose the lead on the first of two consecutive hilly stages, however the reigning world champion battled hard to keep pace with the climbers and punchers who had threatened to steal Rui Costa's thunder in a wet finish to the stage.