The 2012 Tour de France moves into Stage 8 from Belfort to Porrentruy and the 157.5 km stage will be the hardest yet for the peloton.
Stage 8 features seven categorized climbs including four Category 2 climbs, before the final Category 1 climb, which summits at the 16 km to go mark.
The finish comes after the descent of the final Category 1 climb. The long descent may cause most of the peloton to come back together.
However, good climbers and descenders like Samuel Sanchez (Euskatel) could get away and get time on the GC leaders.
After yesterday's brutal final climb, in which Team Sky decimated the peloton, the GC pictures has clarified itself with three main contenders. They include yellow-jersey holder Bradley Wiggins (Sky), defending champion Cadel Evans (BMC), and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas), who are all within 16 seconds of each other.
Other GC possibilities who are within a minute back include Rein Taaramae (Cofidis), Denis Menchov (Katusha), and Haimar Zubeldia (RadioShack).
Pre-race GC contenders like Frank Schleck (RadioShack), Levi Leipheimer (Omega), and Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto), faltered yesterday and are have lost several minutes to Wiggins.
With Wiggins' Team Sky showing their dominance on yesterday's stage, today's stage may be a chance for Evans and Nibali to work together. Both are good descenders and they could try to put the gap on Wiggins during the climb, and get away on the descent.
*** Stage 8 has ended, please click here for the latest live coverage of the Tour de France: /world-others/
