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 chiselled out a large lead early in the 161-kilometre 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.
