Tour de France 2016: Chris Froome wins stage eight to claim Yellow Jersey
Froome will hold 16-second lead in the general classification after brilliant ride sees him win sixth stage of his career
CHRIS FROOME will hold the Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France after a stunning win on stage eight.
The Team Sky rider mounted a brilliant breakaway to leave his rivals in the dust.
Froome is known for his climbing skills but won an unexpected downhill stage for the first time in his career.
The surprise win sees Froome hold the Yellow Jersey over fellow Briton Adam Yates, with a 16 second lead.
Speaking of his stage win, Froome said: "It wasn't really planned.
"I thought I'd give it a try in the downhill as the few tries on the climb didn't work out. They were sticking to us.
"So I decided to give it a go in the descent. It was cool.
"Bike racing is just fun, but maybe I spent a little bit too much.
"Tomorrow is a hard stage but I take every second I can. It's just a really good feeling to win.
"The guys rode all day so I did it for them."
Froome had earlier landed an elbow on a Colombian fan who had been chasing him along the route.