The Tour de France’s first day in the Pyrenees cost the host nation its best hope to end its 35-year title drought.
Frenchman Thibaut Pinot was dropped on the penultimate climb on stage eight, the first of back-to-back mountain days. Pinot began Saturday in good position, ninth in the overall standings with the same time as defending champion Egan Bernal, 13 seconds behind British leader Adam Yates.
But Pinot, third at the 2014 Tour, was seen sitting up, stretching his back on multiple occasions after losing contact with the peloton. He will finish several minutes behind stage winner and countryman Nans Peters and, more importantly, Bernal and pre-race co-favorite Primoz Roglic.