Surely things will kick-off soon.

Mathieu van der Poel positions himself up near the front. The world champion will be the man tasked with leading out his Alpecin-Deceuninck team-mate Jasper Philipsen, in the finale.

Arnaud de Lie pulls in at the side of the road for a change of wheel. The Lotto-dstny sprinter doesn't look overly rushed as he decides to take in a call of nature as well before setting off through the convey of team cars to catch the peloton.

This has been the quietest stage of the Tour de France I can remember. The GC teams are each holding a space across the front of the main bunch with Visma-Lease a Bike having a full complement of riders present.

Riders of various teams are smiling and chatting away. Now that wind-induced stress has failed to pass, there is a much more relaxed atmosphere at the front of the race.

So much so, that Stefan Kung's stop with a mechanical caused him zero bother in regaining contact with the main bunch.

Saint-Amand Montrond, which is where we are expecting a duel between the likes of Jasper Philipsen, Biniam Girmay, Dylan Groenewegen, Mark Cavendish and company, is also the birthplace of two-time French world champion Julian Alaphilippe.

He's some rider and winner of six stages in the Tour de France of the course the polka-dot jersey in 2018.

He was fifth overall in 2019 and wore the yellow jersey for 18 days over three editions (2019, 2020 & 2021).

Dare I say a big miss at this year's Tour as he prepares for a home Olympics.

Out into the open countryside goes the peloton but the wind is not too strong and a strung out peloton comes back together.

Looks like one or two teams are on manoeuvres at the front of the race...

Astana are right up there and UAE Team Emirates have a couple of riders up at the front in support of Tadej Pogacar.

Anyone else love a bit of French scenery...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

A slight increase in pace at the front of the peloton as teams jostle for position.

Meanwhile, Biniam Girmay, has a problem and stops to change his back wheel.

Image source, Getty Images

Now, Mark Cavendish, may have got to that magical and record number of 35 stage wins at the Tour but he will certainly not be resting on his laurels.

He is currently rolling along down the left side of the road near the front of the peloton with his Astana Qazaqstan pals and is likely to be well switched on to the prospect of getting to win number 36 a little later.

The suggestion is that things could get a little tricky with the wind at just under 60km to go.

Given every DS will be warning his team of exactly that, surely nobody will get be caught unawares.

One good thing about the fairly pedestrian pace in the peloton today...the watching public get a few more seconds to watch their heroes whizz past...

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

Geraint Thomas is competing in his 250th stage of the Tour de France today.

When you think of the Welshman at the Tour, it's hard to look past his faultless ride in 2018.

In particular how can anyone forget his superb attack on La Rosiere, and again on the fabled Alpe d'Huez helped him claim back-to-back stage victories on his way to the yellow jersey.

Image source, EPA

It looks quite damp out on roads heading towards Vierzon. There's a suggestion that unless the pace increases a touch, the riders could get caught in a storm as they head towards the finish in Saint-Amand-Montrond.

With Harm Vanhoucke gives up the ghost. Kobe Goosens decides he no longer has the appetite to stay out front alone.

At the back of the peloton Jonas Vingegaard has a puncture and briefly comes to a halt before getting under way again.

Maxin van Gils, Valentin Madouas and Kevin Geniets are caught by the main bunch as Jasper Philipsen finishes just ahead of Biniam Girmay in the intermediate sprint to claw back two points in the green jersey competition.

Well I suppose, Rome wasn't built in a day.

The Dutch sprinter, started the day 96 points back on the Eritrean.

As the chasers committed to this? It doesn't look like they are overly fussed.

If the peloton swallow them up, that'll mean more points available in the green jersey competition.

Maxin van Gils, Valentin Madouas and Kevin Geniets are all off in pursuit of the leading duo.

Finally something happens on the front of the peloton...

Harm Vanhoucke and Kobe Goosens head up the road and take about 30 seconds on the main bunch.