The Tour de France (open in new tab) tests every rider's skills, from positioning and cornering to avoiding crashes and responding to attacks, but it was the first day in the Pyrenees on Saturday that gave Ilnur Zakarin (open in new tab) (CCC Team) a It was downhill skill, or lack thereof, that gave Ilnur Zakarin (CCC Team) a chance to win the stage on Saturday's first day in the Pyrenees.

Nance Peters (AG2R La Mondiale), winner of stage 8 (open in new tab), was at the front with Zakarin on the Orsécatory Porte de Vallès with 35km to go and felt the Russian was stronger.

But when the road turned downhill, Zakarin made a tentative run on the hood. Peters closed the gap and Zakarin did not see Peters until the finish.

"Peters was really good and the downhill today was a very big problem for me. I know that is my problem. [Peters] was really strong and motivated today," Zakarin said.

In Porte de Valles, Peters and Zakarin were 46 seconds ahead of Toms Skuzinsch (Trek-Segafredo), Carlos Verona (Movistar), and Nielson Powles (EF Pro Cycling). When Peters arrived at the base of the Peyresourde Pass, Zakarin was already 45 seconds behind, with the chasers closing in on the Russian.

Although Powles made an error of judgment on a curve and lost contact with Skuzinish and Verona, the two caught and passed Zakarin on the Peyresourde Pass. On the 11 km long descent to the finish, Zakarin further reduced his time, finishing in fourth place, 1:09 behind the stage winner.

Peters admitted that he was not the strongest climber in the breakaway group, but that he ran a smart race.

"I knew Zakarin was stronger than me on the climbs, but I never gave up. I had seen him go down like a goat on the Porto do Valles downhill, so I was confident I could beat him in the stage finale."

"I didn't have an earpiece, so my only information was to look back. With two kilometers to go, I knew I could win."