Frenchman Sylvain Calzati was the first rider to win a stage of the 2006 Tour from a breakaway on Sunday.
The Ag2r rider was part of a five-rider break and then powered clear alone, 28km from the finish to give France their second stage win of the Tour just hours before France played Italy in the World Cup final.
Kjell Carlstrom (Liquigas) and Patrice Halgand (Crédit Agricole) were the only other survivors of the move but finished 2-05 behind Calzati.
Serhiy Honchar (T-Mobile) finished safely in the bunch and so retained the yellow jersey. Floyd Landis (Phonak) is still second at exactly a minute and Australia's Michael Rogers (T-Mobile) is third at 1-08.
"I can't express how good it feels to have won. This is the most beautiful day of my life," 27 year-old Calzati said.
?At the beginning of the stage I didn't think I could win because Dave Zabriskie (CSC) and Matthias Kessler (T-Mobile) were also in the break. However at 45km out I realised that if I was going to have a chance I?d have to go for it and so I did.?
?It's good for France and for French riders because everybody says we don't win enough. Now we've proved them wrong,? he said with pride.
The riders transfer to Bordeaux by plane on Sunday night for Monday's first rest day. Racing returns on Tuesday with the flat 169.5km ninth stage from Bordeaux to Dax at the foot of the Pyrneees.
2 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas 2.05
3 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Crédit Agricole
6 Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile
7 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.52
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