Adam Hansen of Lotto Belisol took over the GC Point d’Appui by the end of Stage 8 of the 2013 Tour de France as the tour headed into the Pyrenees for the first time.

The Point d’Appui after Stage 6, Vasil Kiryienka, slipped a place while riding in support of the new race leader, Chris Froome, on the first mountain stage of the day, leading Team Sky most of the way up the steep ramparts of the Col de Pailhères, the highest point on the Tour de France this year at more than 2,000 meters. His continued position one spot out of the fulcrum gives him plenty of time to regain the middle

Hansen has been working forward in the standards, and the first mountain stage favored his legs. He won Stage 7 of this year’s Giro d’Italia by breaking away early on a hilly, rugged day and staying away. Hansen finished Stage 8 of the Tour de France 44 minutes and 9 seconds behind Froome and 48 minutes and 9 seconds ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Tom Veelers of Argos-Shimano.

On the stage, José Ivan Gutierrez of Movistar took the Point d’Appui.