Today is the final mountain stage. It's a short stage with the first half being flat before the riders steadily begin climbing, finishing with another double climb.
The breakaway forms pretty quickly and without much fuss from the peloton. We have 10 riders here:
Jele
Svab
Berthet
Gonzalez
Menicucci
Foliforov
Labrosse
Andriafenomananiaina
Doubey
Spanopoulos
We are 60 km into the stage. For the breakaway here is where the climbing begins. The peloton is 3 minutes behind.
Berthet and Jele looked to resume their KOM battle, but the latter came up with no points here while the Frenchman did collect 6 to move into the KOM lead.
The KOM sprint splits up the breakaway and shows us who are the strong riders here today as they continue on their own:
Svab wins another KOM ahead of Spanopoulos. Berthet gets the final 2 points which look to be his last as the peloton is quickly approaching.
Only two more stay ahead with 20 km to go. Riders from Billstedt-Horn, Karthago, JEWA and Fincantieri have been swapping at the front of the peloton.
JEWA riders mop up most of the points on the penultimate climb as they set the pace. 13 km to the finish.
Aebi attacks on the flat section before the final climb. Cras goes to follow?! Masnada also trying to make it across to his teammate.
After Kozhatayev did his final turn it is now Obando leading the favourites. Cras hasn't got much of a gap.
As Cras and Masnada are caught it's now Osorio who attacks.
Cras then goes again and it really thins out the group including only these riders:
Osorio Galta Shikai Stüssi Rachid Burke
And again! Cras wants to break everyone today! Stüssi was the first to drop followed by Burke.
With the last kilometer approaching it looks like the trio of Cras, Osorio and Shikai will contest the stage victory.
Cras shows he was the strongest today. It's a clear win for him as he opens a small gap to Osorio and Shikai.
A fantastic ride from Rachid as he gaps Galta for 4th place.
Burke finishes 6th before a group with Cort Nielsen, Stüssi and the Fincantieri duo of Masnada and Smith.
The time timekeepers were not very generous to Cras as he doesn't get a gap to other two meaning he moves up in GC, but only to 5th place. Osorio is 2nd, Galta 3rd and it's that 3rd place that feels like it will be under threat in the final time-trial stage. Berthet did just enough today to claim the KOM ahead of Cras and Shikai. Obando cements the title of the best young rider.
Vuelta al Tachira - Stage 8 
