Evans grabs yellow, Armstrong concedes | Ipswich Cycling | Cycling and Mountain Biking in Ipswich

Australia's Cadel Evans has grabbed the race leader's yellow jersey at the Tour de France.

AAP

AUSTRALIA'S Cadel Evans has grabbed the race leader's yellow jersey at the Tour de France.

The 189km eighth stage in the French Alps was won by Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, the Saxo Bank rider who finished second in last year's Tour.

He out-sprinted Euskaltel's Samuel Sanchez for the stage win after the duo broke 1km from the summit finish line.

World champion Evans of BMC and reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador finished in a group of nine riders 10 seconds later.

Evans, who was left with scrapes after a fall only a few kilometres into the stage, said it was too windy and not steep enough for him to launch an attack.

"All the work Astana were doing put me and Andy in a good position to attack, but it was pretty windy out there on the climb, not flat at the finish, but not favourable to an attack," said the Australian.

"I'm just really happy to get yellow. I'm happy it's rest day."

Meanwhile, American Lance Armstrong ruled himself out of going for an eighth Tour title after two crashes saw him finish Sunday's action-packed stage almost 12 minutes adrift.

The first day's racing in the high mountains proved to be a disaster for the seven-time Tour winner, who crossed the line 11:45 adrift of Schleck's pace.

The American fell twice during the stage and lost ground from the col de la Ramaz, the first major climb of the Tour. He now stands 39th in the overall standings, 13:26 off Evans.

"My Tour is over," said Armstrong. "But I will stay in the race. I will enjoy it, I'll try and take some pleasure out of it, to support the team. I'm not complaining."

The 38-year-old fell first just after the start from Les Rousses and then a second time on the approach to the col de la Ramaz.

"I've had a bad day, a very bad day. At the start, it was going OK, I felt strong.

"And then came the roundabout before the col de la Ramaz. I clipped a pedal and then my tyre rolled off and the next thing I was rolling along the ground at 60-65km/h.

"It's already hard to come back, hard on the body."

After a rest day, Tuesday's eighth stage from Morzine to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is arguably the hardest in the Alps.