Sunday, July 13: Live updates from Stage 8
PAU, France

161.5km

There are strong, gusty winds, but it's sunny and warm. Expect a slow pace today following yesterday's blistering pace (41 kph average speed), as riders get a glimpse of what they're up against in tomorrow's first of three climbing stages in the Pyrenees, which tower dramatically south of Pau.

1:12 p.m. (local time):
The peloton rides slowly out of Sauternes. All 186 racers remaining in the peloton start the race, including Mapei's Johan Museeuw, who was a question mark.

1:38 p.m. (local time):
A slow pace, one rider tries to peel away but drops back almost immediately.

1:57 p.m. (local time):
The peloton is rolling slowly, crossing the 26km mark.

2:04 p.m. (local time):
Telekom moves to the front of the peloton. No attacks yet.

2:38 p.m. (local time):
The first 1.5 hours of the course, the peloton's spun along 48 kms.

Earlier in the day, at the stage's first points sprint, Zabel edged Gan's Stuart O'Grady and Rabobank's Erik Dekker.

2:37 p.m. (local time):
MG's Fabio Baldato, who's been among the worst-off of the spill victims early in the Tour, has some legs under him today. He just won the day's second sprint at the 62km mark at Brocas-les-Forges and is bolting ahead of the peloton along with Big Mat's Ludovic Auger, putting three minutes down.

2:51 p.m. (local time):
Baldato, with bandages covering both legs, and Auger, sans bandage, have pulled six minutes ahead of the peloton, using strong tailwinds to their advantage.

3:09 p.m. (local time):
At 80km, Auger and Baldato's lead has stabilized at six minutes as Gan moves to the front of the peloton. Neither Baldato (124th at 11'46”) or Auger (last at 186th at 48'41”) are a threat to Cedric Vasseur's yellow jersey. Rain is hitting the riders.

3:16 p.m. (local time):
Batik moves to the front of the peloton.

3:24 p.m. (local time):
Baldato nips Auger on the day's first climb, the category-four Cote de Saint-Sever at the 100km mark. Third goes to the peloton still more than five minutes back.

3:28 p.m. (local time):
The pace is blistering. Backed by tailwinds, the average speed through the course is 49.2 kph.

3:41 p.m (local time):
At 113 kms, Baldato and Auger are out 3'35” as Casino, TVM, and Batik work the front of the peloton.

3:52 p.m. (local time):
Casino is doing the work, reeling in Baldato and Auger. The duo's lead is down to 2'50” with 40 kms to go in the stage.

3:58 p.m. (local time):
At the 123km mark, the lead is down to 1'45" with TVM and Casino working the front of the chase group.

4:01 p.m. (local time):
At 127 kms, the lead is down to 1'30”.

4:04 p.m. (local time):
At 129 kms, Big Mat's Auger has dropped the break and is falling back to the peloton, leaving Baldato to work alone.

4:13 p.m. (local time):
At 135 kms, Baldato is working alone at 58 seconds ahead of the peloton. TVM is working hard at the front.

4:15 p.m. (local time):
Baldato is starting up the day's final climb, the category-four Cote d'Auga at the 140km mark. He is a sprinter who's been out of the hunt in the opening stages, boxed out by other teams. He's trying to hold on to post the second breakaway victory of the 1997 Tour, but it's looking unlikely with his lead down to 45 seconds with 2 kms to go in the climb. Festina's Laurent Brochard, who holds the climber's jersey, is coming off the front of the main group of riders.

4:19 p.m. (local time):
As the peloton powers up the climb, Ludovic Auger of Big Mat is falling off the pace. He's in last place in the g.c. and is in “difficulty.”

Brouchard, led by the Festina team, reels in Baldato and wins the points, keeping the jersey going into the Pyrenees. On the descent, the peloton is together and the riders are in a power tuck, a position that will become familiar in the next few climbing stages in the Pyrenees.

There are 21 kilometers to go.

4:19 p.m. (local time):
Polti's Sergei Outschakov goes down in a spill. Not seriously injured, he's back on the bike, giving chase.

4:26 p.m. (local time):
An attack by Farazin is reeled in. FDJ's Christophe Mengin and U.S. Postal's Dariusz Baranowski peel 8 seconds off the front. Festina's Richard Virenque gives chase.

4:33 p.m. (local time):
With 13 kms to go, Mengin and Baranowski are reeled back in. Riders are popping off one at a time, exploding out of the peloton, unsuccessfully trying to gap the main group of riders.

4:36 p.m. (local time):
With 10 kms to go, U.S. Postal's Ekimov is with six other riders who've pulled ahead of the main group. TVM is working hard to reel them. It's a fast-paced finish, with the seven riders working hard to maintain their fast attack.

4:39 p.m. (local time):
With 8 kms to go, the gap is just a few seconds ahead.

4:57 p.m. (local time):
Telekom's Erik Zabel won a photo-finish sprint in the Tour's eighth stage, nipping Batik's Nicola Minali, TVM's Jeroen Blijlevens, and Gan's Frédéric Moncassin, who all crossed the line at the same time.

Judges gave the win to Zabel, making it two in a row (three if you count Friday's disqualification) for the 27-year-old German.

The finale was a beautiful example of the grit and brawn it takes to win a field sprint. The finish was a parting shot for the sprinters, who will surely fade in Monday's first of three climbing stages in the Pyrenees.

Gan's Cedric Vasseur donned the maillot jaune for what's likely the last time of the Tour, with a tough, four-col stage awaiting the peloton tomorrow.