Stage 8: Flat & narrow adventure

The Tour heads to the heart of Brittany in stage eight, the longest stage yet and the third-longest in this year's Tour de France. Starting at 12.00cet from the tiny village of St-Martin de Landelles, near the English Channel.

RACE COURSE:

The 21.75 km course is on fairly flat, narrow roads. However, riders will encounter three category 4 climbs. The first one after 72km at the Côte de Becherel (1.8km, 4%), one hundred kilometres later the Côte de Kervalan (1.7km, 5%) welcomes the riders, and finally after 214 km of race the Côte de Ty-Marrec (1.4km, 9.1%) bids farewell to the stage. The finish is in Plouay, the site of the 2000 World Championships.

There will also be three sprints in stage eight, the first one after 35.5 at the Bazouges-La-Perouse and the last two just after the second climb at the Côte de Kervala. This a stage that will favour sprinters.

RIDERS TO WATCH

An unpredictable stage that will favours the same riders as stage 7, Zabel, Robbie McEwen (Lotto) and Oscar Freire (Mapei). But one thing is certain, ONCE will do whatever it takes to protect their leader.