SAINT-GIRONS (France) - FORMER champion Oscar Pereiro of Spain quit the Tour de France during Saturday's eighth stage because of fatigue.

Pereiro finished second in 2006 but inherited the title after American Floyd Landis was stripped of his victory in a doping scandal.

Pereiro withdrew near the feed zone in Saturday's stage, a 176.5-kilometer ride along three big climbs from the tiny Pyrenean principality of Andorra to Saint-Girons, France.

Pascale Schyns, a spokesman for the Caisse d'Epargne team, said Pereiro dropped out because 'accumulated fatigue.'

'Since the start of the Tour he didn't have good sensations,' Schyns said. 'There was no point in continuing, because it wasn't doing any good.'

Pereiro came into the stage in 38th place, 5 minutes, 36 seconds behind leader Rinaldo Nocentini, who took the yellow jersey from Fabian Cancellara on Friday.

Pre-race favorite Alberto Contador of Spain was second going into the eighth stage, with Astana teammate and seven-time winner Lance Armstrong in third. -- AP

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