Geraint Thomas breathed a sigh of relief at the finish of stage eight of the Tour de France after he survived a team pile-up at the bottom of a fast downhill section on the approach to Saint-Etienne.

South African Daryl Impey added an individual stage win to his Tour de France happy memories when he prevailed at the end of a long breakaway from St Etienne on Sunday.

Geraint Thomas and Ineos team-mate Egan Bernal profited hugely as French rival Thibaut Pinot was caught in a group who lost 100 seconds on the 217.5km stage from Saint-Flour to Albi.

MATT LAWTON IN PAU: The sight of Julian Alaphilippe rising out of his saddle and powering up the steep ramp that came at the end of this individual time trial is sure to trouble Geraint Thomas .

Forecasters also predicted new temperatures highs in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, where the mercury is set to reach 104F (40C) for the first time on Thursday.

The 34-year-old suffered multiple broken bones after he collided with a wall during this year's event, but is ahead in his recovery and is targeting next year's race as a potential return date.

Froome posted a picture on social media following the operation, restating his goals of getting back to full fitness in time for next summer's Tour de France and the Olympic road race in Japan.

There was a touching farewell at the RAC Club in Pall Mall, London, to a much-loved and well-respected motor industry boss who really has put his own money where his mouth is.

It is the first time China has led the Bentley sales table, a landmark that will be seen as another sign of a new world economic order.

Sultry pop star Lana del Rey took the wraps off Jaguar's flashy new F-Type sports car, pictured right, as a string of new British vehicles stole the Paris Motor Show from under the noses of the French this week.

Start queuing for the Dacia Sandero - it’s Britain’s cheapest car at less than £6,000. Renault bought the Romanian car-maker in 1999 as its ‘budget’ brand and the UK market is the final piece of the jigsaw.

The Aixam Coupe S (pictured) may look like a compact city car, but it is classed as a ‘light quadricycle’, which can be driven with a moped licence.

It will be in showrooms this spring, priced at £160,000, following its global unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show on January 14. Bentley describes it as its ' performance flagship convertible'.

Major car makers including Vauxhall, Nissan, Citroen and Volvo will exhibit a range of their latest and yet to launch vehicles as well as providing test drives at the Future Drive Motor Show.

What would you splash out on if your numbers came up? According to new research, for British car fans, nothing but a Bentley will do.

RAY MASSEY: As controversial table-manners go, it certainly beats resting on your elbows. This remarkable stunt came as the dashing Earl of March hosted a sumptuous sponsors and press dinner.

Ray Massey test out the sexy new Jaguar F-type sports car, which has a top speed of 186mph and will accelerate to 60mph in just 4.2 seconds.

The French maker promises up to 61.8 mpg from the car, which was unveiled at the recent Geneva Motor Show.

The Peugeot 205 GTi became an icon of the Eighties. Now, almost three decades on, comes what Peugeot believes is its true spiritual successor - the 208 GTi, writes RAY MASSEY.

The luxury 4x4, which BMW dubs a sports activity vehicle, broke cover this week. It goes on sale here in November, writes RAY MASSEY.

Japan's Mazda unveiled its new five-door small family hatchback simultaneously in five locations across the globe this week - including Britain.

My test drive of the new Range Rover Sport was exacting enough, before I tackled the decommissioned jumbo at Cotswold Airport, near Cirencester, Glos.

Let's hear it for 12 plucky drivers who drove for 24 hours at an average speed of 125 mph in British-built Vauxhall Astra hatchbacks.

The X Factor boss might have been holding court in Los Angeles but for motoring editor Ray Massey, nothing could upstage the Jaguar F-type.

Nifty, nimble and willing 1.6-litre 156 bhp petrol engine linked to a smooth six-speed manual gearbox, which helped propel the car from rest to 62 mph in just 8.2 seconds.

The second worst car was the Mercedes-Benz B-Class (2005- 2012) managing just 42.6 mpg compared with the claimed 59.6 mpg (71.8 per cent).

The 200 mph California T is set to roar into Britain from September after its world debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show, whilst the Jaguar F-Type sports coupe was launched this week.

The McLaren 650S Coupe and open-topped Spider, with an electrically-retractable hardtop, make their global debuts on Tuesday at the Geneva Motor Show.

She is known for her individual style, so it should come as no surprise that singer VV Brown has partnered with Vauxhall Motors to personalise and design her very own Vauxhall ADAM car.

Melanie Sykes, who is the new presenter of BT Sport's MotoGP TV coverage, has opted for the nippy Fiat 500 super-mini convertible.

Mike Flewitt, chief executive of McLaren, was speaking this week about the challenge of keeping his international high-octane customers satisfied

Wimbledon top seed Novak Djokovic was in car mode this week to help Peugeot take the wraps off it new 508 model

This week Ray Massey became the first British journalist to road-test the radical new family car that drives on air: the Peugeot 2008 Hybrid Air

Vauxhall has just released details of the new, fifth-generation Corsa super-mini, set for its official launch at the Paris Motor Show in October

The Mazda 2 is the fourth member of a line-up that includes the CX-5 sports utility vehicle, the svelte Mazda 6 saloon and estate and the Mazda3 hatchback and fastback

Prices start at £20,455 on the road for the 1.4-litre TSI 125 PS manual and rise to £33,795 for the mean-looking 2-litre TSI 280 PS R. First UK deliveries will be in October

Honda has revealed its new compact sports utility vehicle — the HR-V — which goes on sale next summer from £16,000.

The car is largely based on the concept car revealed a year ago and both the five and seven-seat versions are designed for greater flexibility.

Acceleration from rest to 60mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 168mph. The guiding principle, it says, was 'functional beauty'. The driver can also control wing deployment.

It's a petrol electric sport hybrid with aerodynamic low slung features. It has a combination of the 550bhp twin-turbo V6 engine at the rear and two of its three electric motors fixed on the axle towards the front.

Built with flexibility in mind, it also has a sliding second row of seats. There is a choice of five turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. It is also the only car in its class to team four wheel -drive with seven seats.

The new two-seater Aston Martin Vulcan will set you back £1.8million. The V12 engine is the equivalent of eight Ford Fiestas. The Vulcan will reach top speeds of 200mph and 0-60mph in three seconds.

The Outlander PHEV can be charged overnight at home, run on electric-only power or operate in hybrid mode, switching between petrol and electric power, depending on which is most efficient.

Just as George Osborne ratcheted up company car tax for thousands of motorists, German giant BMW unveiled its new 'budget buster' — its first mainstream plug-in petrol-electric hybrid SUV.

The good news is that the five-door hatchback version will be built exclusively at the Swindon factory. Honda announced the Wiltshire works would benefit from a £200million investment.

The festival will feature cars from yesteryear, today and tomorrow. Since 1993 automotive extravaganza has become the nation's motor show. All major car makers brass will be attending.

Just in time for next month's new 65 plate, Honda has announced prices for its funky new third-generation Jazz, which goes on sale from £13,495.

The new model is predicted to sell for a quarter of a million pounds. The two-seater was designed by Scot Moray Callum and unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show ahead of going into production.

French giant, Renault, will release new model to Brits in autumn although it will go on sale on the continent in the summer. Renault bosses say it's aimed at those with an adventurous spirit.

The massive camper van, produced in Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Austria, has a 720-horsepower engine and comes with a £585,000 price tag.