Calzati attacked the breakaway with 30km left to Lorient

The AG2R rider attacked from a long-time six-man breakaway which went clear on 47km.

Kjell Carlstrom and Patrice Halgand chase hard for second and third, while Mario Aerts, David Zabriskie and Matthias Kessler were caught.

Ukraine's Serhiy Honchar retains the race leader's yellow jersey after his time trial win in Rennes on Saturday.

1548: Sylvain Calzati wins and Kjell Carlstrom outsprints Patrice Halgand for second.

Australian Robbie McEwen clinched the bunch sprint not far behind to cement his lead in the points competition.

1541: Sylvain Calzati is preparing his celebration and high-fives the guys in his team car.

1536: Sylvain Calzati is suffering but the peloton appear happy for him to take the glory. Inexplicably, Philippe Gilbert has nipped off the front of the bunch and is pedalling on his own in a no-man's land about 50m up the road.

1530: Former race leader Tom Boonen punctures and is paced back to the group by his Quick Step team. This works to the advantage of Calzati as it means Quick Step are removed from the chase for a while.

1522: Leader Calzati is panting, tongue out, and stamping on his pedals as he strives to put this break away. He is still about 2:45 ahead of the bunch with 17km left.

The trio of David Zabriskie, Mario Aerts and Matthias Kessler are gobbled up by the peloton.

1513: Sylvain Calzati is pedalling like a man possessed and has built up a lead of 25 seconds over the two nearest chasers. The peloton are two-and-a-half minutes behind.

1509: Patrice Halgand is joined by Kjell Carlstrom in pursuit of Calzati.

1505: Sylvain Calzati, who has won all the climbs on stage eight, attacks the lead group.

1455: Mario Aerts jumps out of his saddle to snatch the sprint points at Plouay (142km).
Results:
1. Mario Aerts (DVL) 6pts/6 secs
2. Dave Zabriskie (CSC) 4pts/4 secs
3. Kjell Carlstrom (LIQ) 2pts/2 secs

1452: France's Sylvain Calzati wins his fourth climb of the day at the top of the Cote de Ty Marrec (138km).
Results:
1. Sylvan Calzati (A2R) 3pts
2. Patrice Halgand (CA) 2pts
3. Mario Aerts (DVL) 1pt

1450: A huge crowd is lining both sides of the road up the 1.4km Cote de Ty Marrec climb. Phonak and Francaise des Jeux are at the head of the peloton in hot sunshine in Brittany.

1430: The breakaway are approaching the fourth climb of the day, the fourth category Cote de Ty Marrec. Their lead is down to four minutes 25 seconds.

1414: American David Zabriskie nabs the six points and the time bonus on offer at the second intermediate sprint at Locmalo (112km).
Results:
1. Dave Zabriskie (CSC) 6pts/6 secs
2. Sylvain Calzati (A2R) 4pts/4 secs
3. Mario Aerts (DVL) 2pts/2 secs

1353: France's Sylvain Calzati completes a clean sweep of the three climbs so far, taking the three points on offer for summitting the category four Cote de Gouarec first.
Results:
1. Sylvain Calzati (A2R) 3pts
2. Dave Zabriskie (CSC) 2pts
3. Mario Aerts (DVL) 1pt

The lead to the pack comes down under six minutes as the breakaway slows on the climb.

1340: The advantage of the break over the peloton drops slightly to six-and-a-half minutes.

1325: Frenchman Sylvain Calzati leads the breakaway over the second climb, the fourth category Cote de Saint-Mayeux.
Results:
1. Sylvain Calzati (A2R) 3pts
2. Kjell Carlstrom (LIQ) 2pts
3. Dave Zabriskie (CSC) 1pt

1320: Frenchman Sylvain Calzati takes the points after reaching the summit of the Cote de Mur first.
Results:
1. Sylvain Calzati (A2R) 4pts
2. Mario Aerts (DVL) 3pts
3. Matthias Kessler (TMO) 2pts
4. Patrice Halgand (C.A) 1pt

1311: The leaders are approaching the first of two climbs in quick succession - the Category Three Cote de Mur-de-Bretagne after 75km, and the Category Four Cote de Saint-Mayeux after 78.5km.

1305: The breakaway group extends its lead to 7:30 after 62.5km.

1303: Zabriskie does not appear to be affected by his altercation with a bee. The CSC rider continues to co-operate with Mario Aerts (Davitamon), Kjell Carlstrom (LIQ), Matthias Kessler (TMO), Patrice Halgand (CA)and Sylvain Calzati (A2R).

1300: After starting the stage on wet roads, the conditions are clearing, the cloud cover is lifting, the roads are drying out and the temperature is rising.

1250: One of the leading group, David Zabriskie, is stung by a bee around the 55km mark. He is receiving treatment from the race doctor.

1247: Patrice Halgand catches the breakaway group to make it six riders. They are now over three minutes ahead.

1245: This appears to be a serious escape, having quickly doubled the lead to two minutes. Two of the group - David Zabriskie (CSC) and Matthias Kessler (TMO) - are 10th and 11th respectively in the overall classification, 2:03 behind leader Serhiy Honchar.

1240: Patrice Halgand, of the Credit Agricole team, is trying to bridge the gap to the escape group, which is now a minute clear of the peloton.

1236: A new attack is under way. Five riders - Zabriskie (CSC), Kessler (TMO), Calzati (A2R), Aerts (DVL) and Carlstrom (LIQ) - quickly establish a 15-second lead after 48km.

1232: The escape is over after 45.5km, with the peloton all reunited in one heaving mass of bodies and bikes speeding through north-west France.

1230: The peloton swallows up four of the eight-man breakaway group, but four riders - Voigt (CSC), Dumoulin (A2R), Etxebarria (EUS) and Grabsch (MRM) - stay out in front.

1224: With the peloton just 20 seconds behind the leaders now, the first intermediate sprint after 38km is won by Frenchman Samuel Dumoulin.
1. Samuel Dumoulin (A2R) 6pts/6"
2. Vincente Garcia-Acosta (CEI) 4pts/4"
3. Jens Voigt (CSC) 2pts/2"

1218: Green jersey holder Robbie McEwen, winner of three stages so far, suffers a puncture after 31km. He is getting a new rear wheel from his Davitamon-Lotto team car.

1215: The peloton - led by the Bouygues Telecom team - appears to have decided to keep the escape group in check. They limit its lead to 35 seconds after 29km.

1213: With the lead stretching to 40 seconds, two riders - Anthony Geslin (BTL) and Marzio Bruseghin (MRM) - set off from the peloton to chase them down.

1210: The breakaway group - which includes German Jens Voigt - extends its lead over the peloton to 30 seconds. Voigt finished last in Saturday's time trial, 10 minutes behind Serhiy Honchar, but was saving energy for today's stage, according to his CSC team director Alain Gallopin.

1200: The leading group have established a 20-second lead after 21km. Will they able to sustain this attack?

1158: It's attack time again, and this one looks like it might have a little more substance. Eight riders - Etxebarria (EUS), Voigt (CSC), Dumoulin (A2R), Weening (RAB), Vansevenant (DVL), Garcia-Acosta (CEI), Grabsch (MRM) and Coutouly (AGR) - are 10 seconds ahead of the peloton after 18km.

1155: The trio's attempted escape is swiftly reeled in after just a kilometre.

1153: The earlier breakaway group was swiftly hoovered up by the peloton, but three other riders - Egoi Martinez (DSC), Michael Albasini (LIQ) and Jose Luis Arrieta (A2R) - are trying to escape after 14km.

1150: The first of three intermediate sprints in this stage, each carrying points for the green jersey and time bonuses, will come in Plessala after 38km.

1147: Coyot and 10 other riders have established a 50m advantage on the peloton after 10km, but it is not a clear escape as yet.

1142: Frenchman Arnaud Coyot of the Cofidis team has led off the first attack of the day, with a number of riders in pursuit.

1133: There are 170 riders still in the peloton as the stage gets under way.

1130: The riders will appreciate the cooler conditions today, with the temperature 19C at the start in Saint-Meen-le-Grand, although with light drizzle the roads are wet.

1127: Ukraine's Serhiy Honchar leads the general classification by exactly a minute from American Floyd Landis, one of the favourites for overall victory. But green jersey holder Robbie McEwen will be aiming for another stage victory today to add to his three already in this year's race.