After the withdrawal of Chris Froome, Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador, along with the non-selection of Sir Bradley Wiggins, there are now no former Tour de France champions left in the diminished field.

Rob Hayles
Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"It's possible that Richie Porte can beat Nibali, because of Porte's time-trialling ability. Nibali isn't a weak time-trialler, but if Porte can go as well as has been touted, it's certainly possible. He now needs to make sure he stays in contact."

Tim Bell on Twitter:, external Gutted for Contador but hopefully we'll get to see him go toe-to-toe with Froome at the Vuelta. Unfinished business.

Mark Webb on Twitter:, external Nibali to win for me. Can see Astana controlling mountains like Sky did a couple of years ago. Nibali is a great descender as well.

Cubby on Twitter: , externalThis could be one of the most interesting tours for ages, and maybe plan B Richie Porte is in with a better shout now?

Rob Hatch
BBC Radio 5 live sports extra commentator

"Nibali has a great team for the mountains, but they are very tired. They gave the jersey away yesterday and are back on the front today."

The leading group are being towed along at a lick by Tony Martin.

The German is escorting his team leader Michal Kwiatkowski, but there are seven others, including Joaquim Rodriguez, Thomas Voeckler and Giovannni Visconti, hitching a lift.

They have an advantage of four minutes 24 seconds on the main pack with 63km to go.

Rob Hayles
Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Image source, AP

"It just goes to show that nobody has the right to make Paris. In a flick of a switch, anything can happen. We saw it with Froome, his first crash was innocuous. It is not a right of passage. Anything can happen on any given day. Nibali looked the outright favourite and probably still is, but he still has to get through."

Al Nove on Twitter: , externalNever been his biggest fan but Contador abandoning is a big loss, was really looking forward to the fight FORZA NIBALI!

Andrew Harvey on Twitter:, external So sad to see the 2 main race favourites out before we even hit the Alps! GC competition wide wide open now.

Jacob Walker on Twitter: , externalVery disappointing loosing Contador and Froome from the Tour but makes for a very VERY interesting Vuelta

Chris Froome gone, Alberto Contador gone, who is going to take control of the race for yellow now?

Michal Kwiatkowski is suddenly the man in charge. Up among the leaders, the Polish Omega Pharma-Quick Step main man is in virtual yellow, 17 seconds ahead of Tony Gallopin and a minute and 51 seconds clear of Vincenzo Nibali.

Might the way be opening back up for Team Sky and Richie Porte after a disastrous first week?

Rob Hayles
Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Image source, EPA

"In a situation like this, you might see the peloton go slower to let someone like Contador catch up. The problem was that the white jersey Michal Kwiatkowski was so far up the road that he is the virtual race leader."

Rob Hatch
BBC Radio 5 live sports extra commentator

"The final, sad image, was of Contador going to Mick Rogers, who had sacrificed his own chances to help and giving him a pat on the back, before getting in the car."

Image source, AP

Alberto Contador has pulled out of the Tour de France.

The Spaniard, favourite after the withdrawal of Chris Froome, pulls over to the side of the road, thanks team-mate Mick Rogers for his work and clambers dejectedly into the team car.

Astana are massed at the front of the peloton, pushing the pace, hunched low over the handlebars as they descend off Col du Platzerwasel.

They have two aims.

The threat of Michal Kwiatkowski, who started the day sixth but is now the virtual yellow jersey, is up the road and needs containing.

Alberto Contador is adrift at the back and need punishing.

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

What sort of shape will Alberto Contador be in by the time he gets here?

You will be able to hear the Spaniard's attempt to climb out of hell on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and on the live coverage tab at the top of this page.

Coverage starts at 15:00 BST.

Alberto Contador is facing some demons here.

The Spaniard is up and stomping the pedals, but it is to try and save himself in the race rather than seize ownership of it.

He is making his way through the straggling sprinters, but he has three minutes 45 seconds to make up on the yellow jersey group containing Tony Gallopin, Vincenzo Nibali and Richie Porte.

He is seven minutes off the leaders.

Everyone will be trying to take advantage.

Polkadot Jersey
Classification

Joaquim Rodriguez gets the jump on Thomas Voeckler again, darting past both him and the trundling Tony Martin to snatch the 10 points on offer at the top of the Col du Platzerwasel and extend his lead at the top of climbing standings.

Voeckler gave up the ghost well before the line. Tony Martin took the third set of points.

Three sprints on three summits so far today. Great stuff.

Tony Martin has led the front-runners all the way up the Col du Platzerwasel. He is sacrificing his cameo in the King of the Mountains standings for the good of team leader Michal Kwiatkowski.

Alberto Contador has a trio of Tinkoff-Saxo riders back alongside him, but the Tour doctor is also with him, discussing his injuries from the window of a van.

The Spaniard has a bandaged right knee and lots of patches of road rash peeking out from under the Lycra.

Reports are coming in that Alberto Contador's frame snapped which would explain how he sustained such damage on a relatively slow section of the course.

His Tinkoff-Saxo team-mates are all up the road, so he will have to make his way back to the pack solo.

He is looking tentative as he negotiates the first corners since his crash. His hope at the start of the day was of making inroads in the general classification. Now they might be just keeping himself in contention for the rest of the Tour.

Alberto Contador's race suit is in tatters. The Spaniard has taken a heavy fall and is being left behind by the peloton on the foothills of Col du Platzerwasel.

He is four minutes adrift of the main pack, nine minutes down on the leaders, by the time he climbs back aboard.

It is a long way back for him and the snappers are clicking away. They might be capturing a key part of this year's tour.

With the gap back to the peloton up to four minutes 26 seconds, Michal Kwiatkowski has supplanted Tony Gallopin as the yellow on the road.

But there is big news elsewhere...