A very tricky stage with a circuit around Sabugal. Like most other stages in this race we could very well see the GC brought into play today.
As three riders try to get away in the descent we have a nasty crash in the pack taking down among others Lane in the yellow jersey. His team is very quick to come back and help him up again.
Back to the break away trio, who now has more than two minutes gap. They are: Hategeka, Dennis and Txurruka.
The peloton is taking things easy while Lane is brought back. Good to see some fairplay like this.
150 km to the finish line and a gap of 6'46
2nd time across teh finish line with 134 km to go and the gap hits 9 minutes.
The best placed rider in teh break is Dennis at 4'07
3 laps/100 km to go and 7'49
Hoogerland must be feeling great today as he have sent his team to the front.
Looks like Vontobel have used up their luck by now as Cataldo gets a puncture on the descent- At least he stays on his bike nad he makes it back into the peloton before the big climb so no real harm done except for bad positioning should the peloton crack this time around.
2 laps/66 km to go and 5'02
Final lap/33 km to go and 2'55
Plenty of teams chipping in for the chase.
16 km to go and Txurruka decides it's time to take things into his own hands.
Dennis closes the gap.
The gap have steadied itself at 2'30 so they might actually have a chance anyway.
Kwiatkowski attacking with 14 km to go just before the main climb could complicate things for the break though.
He pulls 10 riders with him. Of the GC top 10 only Nazaret is absent from the group as they enter the big climb. Also in the group are Tvetcov and Levarlet from outside the GC top 10.
Txurruka have attacked once again from the break, who now only has a minutes gap.
Kwiatkowski keeps the pressure high on the climb.
Hategaka waited for the exact right moment to make his attack. Right at the peak allows him to enter the final 9 km with a gap of about half a minute to the favourites group where nothing happpened on the climb.
The other two breakers were almost caught at the summit but decends nicely building a 25 second gap to the favourites with 5 km to go. They still have half a minute to Hategeka though.
Nazaret is desperately trying to bridge the gap to the rest of the peloton, but he looks certain to lose time today.
One km to go and 40 seconds to the closest chasers. If Hategeka stays on the bike he should have this in the bag.
Tvetcov pushes on for the favourites to catch Dennis and Txurruke right under the red flame.
The Project: Africa rider is too tired to celebrate after this tremendous race.
The sprint for 2nd with 500 m to go.
Cataldo wins it ahead of Kwiatkowski.
Nazaret loses just over aminute to the other GC riders and Lane somehow finds it in him to defend his yellow jersey for another day.
Surely he will have to give it up on the big mountain stage tomorrow?
Volta a Portugal - Stage 8 
