CYCLING - ROAD: As Australia’s Cadel Evans and his British arch-rival Brad Wiggins continued to slug it out toe to toe, wheel to wheel, the casualties of an unusually rough race kept piling up.

The upcoming Olympic road race, in which Evans and Wiggins will again be at each other's throats, was at risk of losing a major contender when Beijing champion Sammy Sanchez - regarded as an outside contender for the overall Tour win - suffered a heavy four-man fall 100km from the finish of stage eight.

It was suspected he had a broken collarbone, but it appears to be a badly bruised upper back and shoulderblade as well as a broken fingerbone.

The Spaniard was one of three non-finishers in the most brutal stage so far - a total of 20 have now abandoned.

The 157.5km trip from Belfort in France to Porrtruy in Switzerland featured seven big climbs and produced a surprise winner in French tearaway Thibaut Pinot, 22, the youngest rider in the peloton.

In another powerful performance, Evans finished second 26 seconds behind and briefly rode away from Wiggins, only to be reeled in comfortably. The Englishman retains the leader's yellow jersey with his 10 second buffer intact.

Evans will have a chance to eat into it - or lose ground - in stage nine, a 41.5km time trial which should reveal plenty about the true form of the two race favourites.

With the spotlight clearly focused on Evans from an Australian perspective, the other 11 Australians took a back seat this time, although Victorian Matt Lloyd managed to attract some unwanted early attention when he fell in the neutral zone before the race had formally started. It was the second time he had done this, and blamed it on his own carelessness.

The least-known of the Australian contingent, Tour debutant Jonathan Cantwell, was just happy to be still on his bike after three heavy crashes in quick succession.

Riding for the big Danish team Saxo Bank, he landed on his head in one and another happened while he was travelling at 60kph, which wouldn't have been a pleasant experience in a four-wheel drive, let alone on a bike.

"I'm copping a bit of a beating at the moment, but this is the Tour de France and it will take a bit to keep me down," he said.

"I'm a little surprised there are so many crashes given these are the world's best bike riders, but the thing is everyone is under the same directions and want to get into the same position and with nearly 200 guys accidents are bound to happen."

Australia's most senior rider, Orica-GreenEDGE captain Stuart O'Grady, riding his 16th Tour and about to compete at his sixth Olympics, has been scathing about the desperate tactics of some young riders, saying they lack respect for the race and their opponents.

Cantwell tends to agree, saying: "Coming into the sprints there might be a little less (respect) but again, you're at the Tour de France and some riders who are doing it for the first time might be overcome by nerves and over-enthusiasm.

"The young guys need to relax a bit and not be such cowboys - but it's the Tour de France and anything can happen."

Road racers are among the world's toughest athletes and Cantwell is proving to be no exception. He is determined to get to Paris no matter what.

"My ankle is swollen up so much it looks like I've been sitting on a plane for 36 hours, half my right arse-cheek is missing and all my left side is taped up," he said.

"I'm sitting a bit like a camel on the bike but I just have to survive. I'll get there. I'm an Aussie, mate."

Ron Reed in Porrentruy, Switzerland
for Olympics.com.au