Kroon wins stage eight as Dutch make clean sweep of top three Tour places

THERE was no storming victory by a French rider on Bastille Day in the Tour de France, just a guerrilla attack by a Dutch master.

Karsten Kroon of Rabobank won stage eight in Plouay, but he owed a considerable debt to his countryman and team-mate Erik Dekker.

At 31, Dekker’s best sprints are behind him, but he used all of his experience to wear out the leading group, providing his younger companion Kroon with the opportunity for victory. A French trio of Franck Renier of Bonjour, Credit Agricole’s Sebastien Hinault and Stephane Auge of Jean Delatour each had their eye on winning on Bastille Day. But a series of attacks and feints by Dekker left them exhausted and punchless, allowing Kroon to deliver the knock-out blow.