After breaking away with three other riders, and getting caught, Caisse D'Epargne rider Luis Sanchez found it in himself to make a solo attack at the end of a very high-paced and hilly stage, leaving the pack behind and crossing the finish line alone, winning Stage Seven of the 2008 Tour de France.
Yellow jersey contender Stefan Schumacher won the bunch sprint to capture second winning in a photo finish ahead of Filippo Pozzato and jersey wearer Kim Kirchen.
A Tough Stage
Stage Seven, Brioude to Aurillac, was a difficult and dangerous stage, 159 km of narrow, twisting roads, with many steep climbs and some equally steep descents. The stage has a category Four climb, two Threes and two Twos, with the two hardest climbs coming in the last third of the race, followed by a long, steep descent.
“It’s not an easy stage today,” said second-place rider Cadel Evans. “The climbs are not particularly hard but there are enough to cause some splits in the bunch. ”I‘d say there’ll be a group of about 70 or 80 riders coming to the line together and someone like Oscar Freire will be there to take the win. “The long descent from the Puy Mary will give some of the more resilient sprinters the chance to catch up again and Freire falls into that category.”
The Start
The race started with several unsuccessful attacks, none of got more than more than thirty seconds ahead or stayed away for more than fifteen km.
