Wiggins holds yellow as Pinot takes stage

Cycling: France’s Thibaut Pinot won stage eight of the Tour de France in Porrentruy as Briton Bradley Wiggins retained the race…

Cycling:France's Thibaut Pinot won stage eight of the Tour de France in Porrentruy as Briton Bradley Wiggins retained the race leader's yellow jersey under attack from defending champion Cadel Evans.

The 157.5-kilometre route from Belfort saw the peloton make a brief sojourn to the finish in Switzerland and Pinot won by 26 seconds from Evans, with Tony Gallopin third and Wiggins fourth.

Australian Evans attempted to gain vital seconds in the closing moments of the stage, but Wiggins had enough strength to follow every revolution and maintain his 10-second lead.

Wiggins became the fifth Briton to don the maillot jauneon stage seven, won by Team Sky colleague Chris Froome, and will enter tomorrow's 41.5km time-trial to Besancon seeking to gain further time in his bid for victory in Paris on July 22nd.

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Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) stayed third, 16 seconds adrift, after placing fifth on the stage.

Wearing yellow was not unfamiliar to Wiggins - the triple Olympic champion won the yellow jersey at the Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine stage races this season - but it was his first time as leader of cycling’s most prestigious race.

Nicolas Roche came home in 13th position today, one minute and 25 seconds behind Pinot and drops one place to ninth, 2.21 behind Wiggins.

Dan Martin came home in 64th position, 7.25 behind the stage winner, but moves up from 81st position to 65th, 27.17 off the pace.