Well, it wasn't to be the perfect send-off for Mark Cavendish, but he has already achieved his goal at this year's Tour and will now focus on making it to the end.

We'll be back for Stage 17 tomorrow afternoon.

Until then, head over here to read our developing report following Jasper Philipsen's victory.

Goodbye for now!

Biniam Girmay, in the green jersey, is helped over the line by his team-mates.

It looks like he's taken quite the knock there but hopefully he will be fine to continue in the race.

With Biniam Girmay down and out, Alpecin-Deceuninck took charge and a superb team effort delivers Jasper Philipsen to victory.

Mark Cavendish crosses the line in 17th in the final Tour de France sprint stage of his career.

And Jasper Philipsen takes it!

A reduced group remains.

Jasper Philipsen is still there...

Biniam Girmay is brought down in a crash!

Disaster for the green jersey.

One of the major players is out of contention.

The final chance for the sprinters at this year's race.

The final chance of Mark Cavendish's career.

What has he got left...

It's frenetic at the front as the race approaches the finish in Nimes.

The final push. Who will emerge victorious from this?

There is no shortage of big-name sprinters still remaining in the race, despite the mountains they've had to overcome to get here.

Mark Cavendish remains well-positioned in the main group as a mix of sprinter and general classification teams push the pace.

Into the last five kilometres.

The pace rises still, now up to 60 kilometres per hour, as the teams jostle for position at the front of the race.

Visma-Lease a Bike take charge at the front of the peloton. Are they targeting a win for Wout van Aert once leader Jonas Vingegaard is delivered safely to the closing stages?

Mark Cavendish's Astana Qazaqstan Team are down to just five riders, so they are lacking strength in numbers compared to Jasper Philipsen's Alpecin-Deceuninck and Biniam Girmay's Intermarche-Wanty.

But, with this the last opportunity for the sprinter's teams to take a victory at this year's Tour de France, the conclusion to stage 16 could get messy.

Sixteen years after Mark Cavendish won in Nimes on his Tour de France debut, can the record-breaking Manx Missile produce a fitting finale to a wonderful career?

It's not going to be easy - he barely stayed in the race two days ago - but, with Cavendish, there's always a chance.

The peloton is inside the final 20 kilometres now, and things appear to have calmed down at the front of the race - temporarily at least.

Those expected crosswinds do not appear to be as problematic as some teams feared and the riders will now be preparing for a bunch sprint in Nimes.

A philosophical Mark Cavendish told ITV before what is expected to be his final Tour de France sprint stage:

"With every last comes a first, doesn't it.

"It is the last time I will perhaps do a sprint at the Tour de France, we don't know if it will be a sprint but if it is it is another opportunity and we will try and win.

"In the future, whether I ride a bike or not, I'll try and win more, just in whatever you do in life try and succeed.

"It's never the last of anything, is it."

On getting through Sunday's mountainous 15th stage by finishing just two minutes within the cut-off time, Cavendish added:

"I'll always fight in the Tour de France because I respect the race so much. But I've always said through the suffering and the down moments, if there is something there to get you through it, it always helps.

"We have five guys here. Everyone is motivated. Whatever happens today, Sunday was more impressive than anything a lead-out man in the history of cycling has ever done, I'm super grateful."

Image source, Getty Images

Thomas Gachignard's time at the front of the race is over as the Frenchman is swallowed up by the peloton.

Who will take this on next? And just how tricky will those winds prove to be...

The peloton is strung out and the pace is high as we head towards exposed roads, and the main group will soon be able to see leader Thomas Gachignard up ahead.

Now, it looks like we have a race!

The pace in the peloton rises sharply and Thomas Gachignard's lead at the front quickly drops below the one-minute mark.

Everyone wants to be in the best position in case crosswinds do have an impact on the race situation.

Thomas Gachignard's advantage is holding at around one minute 40 seconds as the peloton moves through Calvisson and we edge closer to potentially problematic crosswind territory.

After a relaxing start to the day, this could soon become quite frantic.

The loneliness of the long-range solo attack.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images