Amiens - Dutch ace Dylan Groenewegen sprinted to a second straight win on stage eight of the Tour de France on Saturday as second and third Andre Greipel and Fernando Gaviria were disqualified for elbowing and headbutting at 70km/h.

Fourth-placed Peter Sagan inherited second with fifth-placed John Degenkolb promoted to third after a thrilling but rough and tumble sprint.

Overall leader Greg Van Avermaet of BMC held on to the yellow jersey for a sixth day but after a mass fall held up around half the peloton 17km from the line Ireland's Dan Martin trailed home 1:16 off the winner bleeding at the elbow and with his Tour hopes severely dented.

"I'm going to try and ride tomorrow but obviously it's going to be very sore," said Martin at his UAE Team Emirates bus.

"When the doctor took off the bandage he went oooh! When you hear a doctor say that you know it's no good," he said.

"It hurts and I'm in shock."

Quick Step's Julian Alaphilippe, who started the day in fourth overall was also caught in the fall and appeared to be in severe discomfort in his saddle.

Most of the other leading contenders, including Chris Froome, Romain Bardet, Vincenzo Nibali, Nairo Quintana and Richie Porte came home safely in the peloton.

The 25-year-old Groenewegen, who rides for the Dutch Lotto team, flew out of the pack on France's July 14 national holiday to leave Greipel, Gaviria and Sagan trailing in his wake.

He made his move at the very last moment and showing for a second time that he has refound his form and above all his confidence.

"I didn't see what happened behind me and can't comment on the decision," said the Dutch rider who also won Friday's seventh stage to join Sagan and Gaviria with two wins each from the first eight days' racing.

"I was watching everything and I just waited for my chance," said the stocky Amsterdam native who on Friday put a finger to his lips to silence his detractors at the line but on Saturday put up two fingers, which he said was for two, and for peace.

World road race champion Sagan extended his lead on the green jersey points race and was as relaxed as ever.

"I started early, because everyone was there, I'm there every day so maybe that is why I didn't quite have the strength for the finish," explained Sagan.

"Tomorrow I'll try again, it'll be a hard day for all of us, but it's just 150km, just three and a half hours," he said keeping a straight face.

"Greg (Van Avermaet) and the classic guys will be there, maybe around 50 of us," he said. 

With all eyes turning to Sunday's Arras Roubaix stage which has 15 cobbled sections which date back to the old time mining era on the menu.

Van Avermaet won a spring classic there in 2017 and was asked if Sunday he had to work for his team leader Richie Porte.

"It could be good if I went for it and the team looked after Richie," said the 31-year-old Belgian who won the Olympic road race title at Rio in 2016.

"The weather makes a huge difference, so let's see, even today on this flat, boring stage, wind would have cut that peloton in three, Roubaix is always unpredictable."

Van Avermaet then agreed with a quip from the press pack that he might not get Carte Blanche but maybe he'd a Carte Jaune (yellow), the colour of his jersey.

Fabien Grellier of Direct Energie and Marco Minnard of Wanty embarked on a long break across the plains and Grellier eventually won the day's 'Combativity' award for brave riding.

"It's a shame there were not more French in the escape but what can I do, I kept at it and with 50km to go and only a two minutes lead I knew it was impossible, but I plugged on because of the day," said Grellier.

Latvia's Toms Skujins of Trek-Segafredo kept hold of the polka dot King of the Mountains jersey

Standings from the 8th stage of the Tour de France, a 181km ride from Dreux to Amiens on Saturday:

1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED/LNL) 181.0 km in 4hr 23min 36sec

2. Peter Sagan (SVK/BOR) at 0sec.

3. John Degenkolb (GER/TRE) 0.

4. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/EAU) 0.

5. Arnaud Démare (FRA/FDJ) 0.

6. Thomas Boudat (FRA/DEN) 0.

7. Nikias Arndt (GER/SUN) 0.

8. Mark Cavendish (GBR/DDT) 0.

9. Yves Lampaert (BEL/QST) 0.

10. Andrea Pasqualon (ITA/WGG) 0.

11. Daniel Oss (ITA/BOR) 0.

12. Timothy Dupont (BEL/WGG) 0.

13. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA/BAH) 0.

14. Taylor Phinney (USA/EFD) 0.

15. Marcel Kittel (GER/KAT) 0.

16. Dion Smith (NZL/WGG) 0.

17. Geraint Thomas (GBR/SKY) 0.

18. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/BAH) 0.

19. Christopher Froome (GBR/SKY) 0.

20. Maximiliano Richeze (ARG/QST) 0.

21. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) 0.

22. Laurent Pichon (FRA/FST) 0.

23. Gorka Izagirre (ESP/BAH) 0.

24. Soren Kragh Andersen (DEN/SUN) 0.

25. Daniele Bennati (ITA/MOV) 0.

26. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/BMC) 0.

27. Damiano Caruso (ITA/BMC) 0.

28. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 0.

29. Egan Bernal (COL/SKY) 0.

30. Edward Theuns (BEL/SUN) 0.

31. Tom Dumoulin (NED/SUN) 0.

32. Dmitriy Gruzdev (KAZ/AST) 0.

33. Mikel Landa (ESP/MOV) 0.

34. Bob Jungels (LUX/QST) 0.

35. Rafal Majka (POL/BOR) 0.

36. Oliver Naesen (BEL/ALM) 0.

37. Pierre-Roger Latour (FRA/ALM) 0.

38. Richie Porte (AUS/BMC) 0.

39. Ilnur Zakarin (RUS/KAT) 0.

40. Gregor Mühlberger (AUT/BOR) 0.

41. Michael Andersen (DEN/AST) 0.

42. Daryl Impey (RSA/MIT) 0.

43. Jasper Stuyven (BEL/TRE) 0.

44. Heinrich Haussler (AUS/BAH) 0.

45. Koen de Kort (NED/TRE) 0.

46. Warren Barguil (FRA/FST) 0.

47. Florian Vachon (FRA/FST) 0.

48. Bauke Mollema (NED/TRE) 0.

49. Jon Izagirre (ESP/BAH) 0.

50. Adam Yates (GBR/MIT) 0.

51. Jack Bauer (NZL/MIT) 0.

52. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) 0.

53. Jakob Diemer Fuglsang (DEN/AST) 0.

54. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0.

55. Silvan Dillier (SUI/ALM) 0.

56. Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA/ALM) 0.

57. Jacopo Guarnieri (ITA/FDJ) 0.

58. Rigoberto Uran (COL/EFD) 0.

59. Niki Terpstra (NED/QST) 0.

60. Tony Gallopin (FRA/ALM) 0.

61. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/LNL) 0.

62. Nils Politt (GER/KAT) 0.

63. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA/BAH) 0.

64. Marcus Burghardt (GER/BOR) 0.

65. Guillaume Martin (FRA/WGG) 0.

66. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/QST) 0.

67. Mathias Frank (SUI/ALM) 0.

68. Arthur Vichot (FRA/FDJ) 0.

69. Primož Roglic (SLO/LNL) 0.

70. Ramon Sinkeldam (NED/FDJ) 0.

71. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/DEN) 0.

72. Magnus Nielsen (DEN/AST) 0.

73. Pierre Rolland (FRA/EFD) 0.

74. Matthew Hayman (AUS/MIT) 0.

75. Rudy Molard (FRA/FDJ) 0.

76. Patrick Bevin (NZL/BMC) 0.

77. Kristjan Koren (SLO/BAH) 0.

78. Amaël Moinard (FRA/FST) 0.

79. Julien Simon (FRA/COF) 0.

80. Thomas Degand (BEL/WGG) 0.

81. Tanel Kangert (EST/AST) 0.

82. Rein Taaramae (EST/DEN) 0.

83. Laurens ten Dam (NED/SUN) 0.

84. Imanol Erviti (ESP/MOV) 0.

85. Kévin Ledanois (FRA/FST) 0.

86. Mikel Nieve (ESP/MIT) 0.

87. Lilian Calmejane (FRA/DEN) 0.

88. Audrey Amador (CRC/MOV) 0.

89. Daniel Martínez (COL/EFD) 0.

90. Simon Gerrans (AUS/BMC) 0.

91. Romain Sicard (FRA/DEN) 0.

92. André Greipel (GER/LOT) 0.

93. Fernando Gaviria (COL/QST) 0.

94. Yoann Offredo (FRA/WGG) 25.

95. Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE/FDJ) 26.

96. Serge Pauwels (BEL/DDT) 26.

97. Julien Bernard (FRA/TRE) 30.

98. Dimitri Claeys (BEL/COF) 30.

99. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/DDT) 30.

100. Robert Gesink (NED/LNL) 30.

101. Amund Grondahl Jansen (NOR/LNL) 38.

102. Mark Renshaw (AUS/DDT) 40.

103. Paul Martens (GER/LNL) 42.

104. Marc Soler (ESP/MOV) 42.

105. Marcel Sieberg (GER/LOT) 42.

106. Lukas Pöstlberger (AUT/BOR) 45.

107. Jasper De Buyst (BEL/LOT) 49.

108. Stefan Kung (SUI/BMC) 50.

109. Michael Hepburn (AUS/MIT) 50.

110. Jesper Hansen (DEN/AST) 50.

111. Simon Geschke (GER/SUN) 59.

112. Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA/DDT) 1:03.

113. Thomas De Gendt (BEL/LOT) 1:04.

114. Julien Vermote (BEL/DDT) 1:04.

115. Michael Schär (SUI/BMC) 1:04.

116. Tomasz Marczynski (POL/LOT) 1:04.

117. Tom Slagter (NED/DDT) 1:14.

118. Darwin Atapuma (COL/EAU) 1:16.

119. Kristijan Durasek (CRO/EAU) 1:16.

120. Daniel Martin (IRL/EAU) 1:16.

121. Rick Zabel (GER/KAT) 1:16.

122. Maxime Bouet (FRA/FST) 1:16.

123. David Gaudu (FRA/FDJ) 1:16.

124. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA/QST) 1:16.

125. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (BEL/WGG) 1:16.

126. Anthony Turgis (FRA/COF) 1:22.

127. Chad Haga (USA/SUN) 1:23.

128. Luke Durbridge (AUS/MIT) 1:30.

129. Olivier Le Gac (FRA/FDJ) 1:30.

130. Jérôme Cousin (FRA/DEN) 1:34.

131. Jens Keukeleire (BEL/LOT) 1:34.

132. Tom Scully (NZL/EFD) 1:51.

133. Tim Declercq (BEL/QST) 1:51.

134. Elie Gesbert (FRA/FST) 1:51.

135. Marco Minnaard (NED/WGG) 1:51.

136. Christophe Laporte (FRA/COF) 2:00.

137. Luke Rowe (GBR/SKY) 2:00.

138. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/SKY) 2:00.

139. Maciej Bodnar (POL/BOR) 2:00.

140. Roberto Ferrari (ITA/EAU) 2:16.

141. Gianni Moscon (ITA/SKY) 2:28.

142. Sep Vanmarcke (BEL/EFD) 3:39.

143. Lawson Craddock (USA/EFD) 3:39.

144. Nicolas Edet (FRA/COF) 3:42.

145. Daniel Navarro (ESP/COF) 3:42.

146. Jay Thomson (RSA/DDT) 3:42.

147. José Herrada Lopez (ESP/COF) 3:42.

148. Marco Marcato (ITA/EAU) 3:42.

149. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP/SKY) 3:42.

150. José Joaquin Rojas (ESP/MOV) 3:42.

151. Romain Hardy (FRA/FST) 3:42.

152. Oliviero Troia (ITA/EAU) 3:42.

153. Fabien Grellier (FRA/DEN) 3:42.

154. Franco Pellizotti (ITA/BAH) 3:42.

155. Ian Boswell (USA/KAT) 3:42.

156. Damien Howson (AUS/MIT) 4:58.

157. Michael Gogl (AUT/TRE) 4:58.

158. Pavel Kochetkov (RUS/KAT) 4:58.

159. Toms Skujinš (LAT/TRE) 4:58.

160. Anthony Perez (FRA/COF) 4:58.

161. Antwan Tolhoek (NED/LNL) 4:58.

162. Timo Roosen (NED/LNL) 4:58.

163. Rory Sutherland (AUS/EAU) 5:02.

164. Jelle Vanendert (BEL/LOT) 5:02.

165. Pawel Poljanski (POL/BOR) 5:02.

166. Omar Fraile (ESP/AST) 5:02.

167. Wout Poels (NED/SKY) 5:02.

168. Damien Gaudin (FRA/DEN) 5:02.

169. Simon Clarke (AUS/EFD) 11:05.

170. Tony Martin (GER/KAT) 11:05.