Calmejane beats cramp to win stage

STATION DES ROUSSES: Lilian Calmejane rode fought off a bout of cramp to claim a dramatic solo win in the eighth stage of the Tour de France yesterday.

As the overall favourites stayed quiet on the eve of a punishing day in the Jura mountains, Calmejane, 24, dropped his breakaway companions in the last climb of the day and despite cramping up in the closing stages, held off Dutchman, Robert Gesink, for a second grand tour stage win. Frenchman Guillaume Martin took third place.

Britain’s Chris Froome had a minor scare when he went off the road in a descent, but kept his cool in sweltering heat to retain the overall leader’s yellow jersey.

Calmejane kept his strategy close to his chest in the day’s breakaway, but barely looked back after pulling away in the 11.7-km climb to La Combe de Laisia.

Gesink chased hard but the Frenchman had too much power in the finale. Calmejane almost came to a halt 5km from the line, however, due to cramp in his right thigh.

“It’s huge. It was everything I was dreaming of,” said Calmejane, who won a stage in last year’s Vuelta. “When I had cramp in the finale, I decided to drop a gear so I could pedal softer,” he said.

Team Sky were in control all day despite a hectic start to the stage, with almost 50 riders managing to break away from the main pack.

Riders will be tested further today, when the ninth stage takes their bikes through the Jura mountains with three lung-busting climbs in prospect before a dangerous descent to Chambery. Tour leader Froome has warned that the stage will be very decisive for the general classification.

“It is going be an important block these next two days but (today) will be very decisive with a lot of climbing and we’ll see a lot of damage,” said Froome, who won the Tour in 2013, 2015 and 2016. – Reuters