FROOME BEATS YELLOW PERIL

FRENCHMAN Lilian Calmejane overcame cramp to win stage eight of the Tour de France, as Chris Froome survived a brief off-road excursion to retain his yellow jersey.

Having attacked out of a breakaway on the final climb of the day, Calmejane cramped-up around 5km from the finish of the 187.5km stage from Dole to Station des Rousses.

But he got going again to win by 37 seconds from chasing Dutchman Robert Gesink.

Froome and Sky team-mate Geraint Thomas CHRIS LEES had gone off-road when they misjudged a corner on a descent with around 45km to go.

“We came into a very tight right-hand corner and I think Geraint hadn’t got his line quite right,” said Froome, 32.

“We were going too fast and we didn’t expect it to turn back on itself as much as it did.

“A couple of us went off and I think Geraint went into the barriers. I went over the gravel but managed to turn around and get back in.” Thomas did not hit the barriers but did collide with a hay bale before picking himself up.

“The boys went into the corner a bit hot and I I was late braking,” said the Welshman.

“It was either go off into the woods or into a hay bale. I chose the hay bale. I front-flipped and landed on my back but I’m fine.”

Froome leads the general classification by 12 seconds from Thomas, with Italian national champion Fabio Aru 14 seconds back in third.