LONDON (Dispatches) - Britain's Chris Froome retained the race leader's yellow jersey as Frenchman Lilian Calmejane won stage eight of the Tour de France.
Direct Energie rider Calmejane claimed the biggest win of his career despite cramping late on after launching a late break at the end of the 187.5km stage.
The 24-year-old, competing in his first Tour de France, finished 37 seconds ahead of Dutchman Robert Gesink.
Ireland's Nicolas Roche was fourth, 50 seconds adrift of Calmejane.
He not only becomes the first French debutant to win a Tour stage since Thibaut Pinot in 2012, but moves to the top of the King of the Mountains competition, taking the polka dot jersey from Italian rider Fabio Aru.
"It's huge. It was everything I was dreaming of," said Calmejane, who also won a stage on his Vuelta a Espana debut in 2016.
In another development, Britain's Geraint Thomas has been forced to abandon the Tour de France after crashing on stage nine.
The Team Sky rider, one of race leader Chris Froome's key helpers in the mountains, came off on a descent.
Welshman Thomas, who was second overall at the start of the stage, has a suspected broken collarbone, according to the Tour's official website.
He won stage one of this year's race and wore the leader's yellow jersey until Froome took it after stage five.
Thomas also crashed out of the Giro d'Italia in May, when he was Team Sky's race leader.
****Calmejane battled cramp in the final 5km to win his second Grand Tour stage