Geraint Thomas is dropped by the breakaway, followed by Ivan Garcia Cortina.

The breakaway is approaching the first categorised climb of the day, with this the climb that will not be repeated.

Visma-Lease a Bike are pushing the pace at the front of the peloton.

The last time the Tour de France came to Mur-de-Bretagne, the stage finished with the same circuit and Mathieu van der Poel triumphed to claim his first stage win.

But that was on stage two of the 2021 edition. Today is stage seven of this year's race and comes after a gruelling stage six where Van der Poel admits he suffered.

Remco Evenepoel said yesterday: "I think it might be a pretty tough final. I think it's more or less the same final as a few years ago, and yeah, I expect a guy like Mathieu to be out there to win - depending on how he will recover from today, because he put a big effort in."

The iconic climb that awaits on stage seven is outside the village of Mur-de-Bretagne.

The riders will then do a loop and come back up the climb, so they will actually cross finish line twice.

The climb is 2 kilometres long with an average gradient of 6.9%, but the first section is the most challenging as it's about 10%.

Speaking on TNT Sports, 12-time Tour stage winner Robbie McEwen said that circuit is like an amphitheatre and described it as "cycling's Wembley".

Image source, ASO

The gap between the breakaway and the peloton is now down to one minute.

Looks like Tadej Pogacar and his GC rivals will be scrapping it out for a prestigious stage win at Mur-de-Bretagne.

Points leader Jonathan Milan comes over the top of rival sprinter Biniam Girmay to snatch an extra point.

1. Ivan Garcia Cortina - 20 points
2. Marco Haller - 17 pts
3. Alex Baudin - 15 pts
4. Geraint Thomas - 13 pts
5. Ewen Costiou - 11 pts
6. Jonathan Milan - 10 pts
7. Biniam Girmay - 9 pts
8. Anthony Turgis - 8 pts
9. Quinn Simmons - 7 pts
10. Laurenz Rex - 6 pts

Biniam Girmay's Intermarche-Wanty team and Jonathan Milan's Lidl-Trek move up ahead of the sprint, while up the road Ivan Garcia Cortina claims the maximum 20 points on offer.

The breakaway is 90 seconds clear approaching the day's intermediate sprint.

Image source, EPA

Asked before today's stage how he felt, Mathieu van der Poel said: "Waking up, I've felt better, I have to say. I could be worse but we'll see how today goes."

Today's finish is on the iconic climb outside Mur-de-Bretagne, where the Dutch rider claimed his first Tour stage win in 2021.

"It's special again, it will be very nice to be back," he said. "It will be a hard stage, for sure, and I'm happy to be in yellow.

"Four years ago was really special and if the big guns go from the bottom at Mur-de-Bretagne, it will be difficult to beat them."

On Tadej Pogacar, he added: "If he feels good - which he always does, it seems - then he will try to go for the stage win. This finish suits him pretty well and if everything is together then, for sure, he will try to win the stage."

Image source, EPA

Alpecin-Deceuninck sports director Christoph Roodhooft said that yesterday's stage "was stressful in the end".

"For Mathieu [van der Poel] it was a really challenging stage and the effort he did in the first 100km was really high.

"He wanted to be in the break but at a certain moment it was only six seconds to the peloton and they kept going. At that moment he was more of less the engine of that break.

"Also, what he did in the past days was not that little, so it was a combination of things, but for me, he was surprisingly good in that first 100km."

Image source, EPA

After yesterday's gruelling stage, Remco Evenepoel looked ahead to today, saying: "I think that a lot of the race situations will depend on Tadej and Jonas' teams (UAE and Visma), how they want to attack the race.

"Overall I guess the stage is going to be a little less hard than today, but of course today will be in the legs of a lot of guys, and I think it'll be a pretty hectic and explosive final."

• Immediate sprint: Pledran 20 points (139km)
• Cat. 4 climb: Cote du village de Mur-de-Bretagne (178km)
• Cat. 3 climb: Mur-de-Bretagne (first crossing of the finish line - 181km)

Image source, EPA

Many of you asked yesterday why Tadej Pogacar would be willing to relinquish the race lead.

Firstly, it's who is wearing the yellow jersey in Paris that really matters. And although Mathieu van der Poel is wearing it now, he's very unlikely to hold onto it as the race heads into the mountains, where Pogacar and his main general classification rivals are strongest.

Also, earning the yellow jersey means you have a lot more commitments after and before each stage, with the podium ceremonies and media duties. Van der Poel said after yesterday's stage that he was "cramping all over the place so I was really, really suffering. It was just an incredibly hard day."

Because the Dutch rider had done enough to regain the jersey, that meant he had about an hour less to rest and recover for today's stage, while Pogacar already had his feet up.

Image source, EPA

After relinquishing the race lead yesterday, Tadej Pogacar posted on Instagram, external saying: "One day in yellow - always an honour. Bravo @mathieuvanderpoel to claim it back and all the breakaway riders today - respect, what a ride, what a stage."

Van der Poel replied, saying: "You think 1sec is enough for me to keep it to Paris?"

It seems even the race leader expects reigning champion Pogacar to be back in the yellow jersey tomorrow.

Geraint Thomas is still motoring along with the five-man breakaway.

At 39, the Welshman is the oldest rider in this year's race and has the most Tour appearances, with this his 14th and final Tour.

Of course, the Ineos Grenadiers rider claimed a shock race win in the 2018 edition but has also finished on the podium in 2019 and 2022, and has three stage wins.

Image source, Reuters

Mathieu van der Poel may have reclaimed the yellow jersey from Tadej Pogacar yesterday by just one second, but the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider looked spent as he crossed the finish line.

The Dutchman got himself in the breakaway and burned a lot of energy to help keep the pace up.

When Ben Healy launched the solo attack that ultimately took him to a maiden Tour stage win, Van der Poel initially gave chase but soon thought better of it and ended up being the last of the breakaway group to reach the finish, almost four minutes after Healy.

Image source, EPA

Speaking before today's stage, Tadej Pogacar said: "I would prefer it to go to the finish line with the group, without any stress, without spending too much energy, but I don't think it's going to go as I hope."

Image source, Reuters

Some great shots on TV as the peloton is now racing along the beachfront at Pleneuf-Val-Andre.

We're about to head inland towards Mur-de-Bretagne for the iconic climb outside the town.

Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) are driving the bunch, with the gap now stable at one minute 40 seconds.

Soudal Quick-Step's Mattia Cattaneo is the latest rider forced to abandon the race.