On a day of mixed feelings for the home nation, rookie Nans Peters won the eighth stage of the Tour de France following a long breakaway in the Pyrenees, while fellow Frenchman Thibaut Pinot's love-hate relationship with cycling's marquee event continued. Peters was part of a group of 13 riders who broke away Saturday in the early stages of the 141-kilometer (87.5-mile) stage featuring three punishing ascents to the town of Loudenvielle, where he soloed to the biggest win of his career. Pinot went into this race edition dreaming of ending a 35-year drought for France but lost contact with the main contenders 41 kilometers from the finish.
