• Tour de France Stage Eight, Aigurande - Super-Besse Sancy

Costa claims first mountain stage

Rui Costa was the first breakaway winner on the 2011 Tour de France © Getty Images

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Rui Costa survived a breakaway to claim his first stage victory on Stage Eight of the Tour de France.

Costa was part of an early breakaway group that made its move after just eight kilometres of the 189km ride from Aiguirande to Super-Besse, but as his rivals fell off the pace, Costa held firm to hold off the chasing peloton to claim the first mountain stage.

The 24-year-old crossed the line 12 seconds clear of Philippe Gilbert. Despite missing out on a second stage win, the Belgian took posession of the green jersey to lead the points classification.

Despite finishing third, Australian Cadel Evans failed to take the overall lead, as Thor Hushovd defied the odds to hang onto the yellow jersey for another day.

Alexandre Vinokourov launched a late charge and threatened to claim the yellow jersey, but after chasing down all the members of the breakaway beside Costa, the Astana rider faded in the final kilometre.

Evans sits one second off the pace, but despite his BMC team working hard to close the gap on the early breakaway group, the Australian insists his failure to capture the yellow jersey is not a problem.

"I didn't get the jersey but for us it's not a problem right now. As I keep saying, there's a long way to go to Paris," he said.

Defending champion Alberto Contador finished in the peloton after a game of cat-and-mouse with rival Andy Schleck. Contador sits 20th overall, one minute and 42 seconds behind seconds behind Hushovd.

Tour de France Stage Eight, Aigurande - Super-Besse Sancy:
1. Rui Alberto Faria Costa (Por) Movistar Team 4:36:46
2 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:00:12
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:15
4 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi - same time
5 Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad - same time
6 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team - same time
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD - same time
8 Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard - same time
9 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - same time
10 Frank Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - same time

General classification after Stage Eight:
1. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Team Garmin-Cervelo 33:06:28
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team - at one second
3. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - at four seconds
4. Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team RadioShack - at 10 seconds
5. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek - at 12 seconds
6. Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - at 12 seconds
7. Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad - at 13 seconds
8. Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad - at 13 seconds
9. David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo - at 19 seconds
10. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto - at 30 seconds

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