Sagan and his Cannondale team mates are catching up well but have to slam on the brakes to avoid a minor spill in the peloton and now it is Team Sky in a spot of bother. Richie Porte is off his bike and asking for a new one - the thing is, his team car is nowhere to be seen. Finally, they manage to reach him.

Porte will be a key helper for Chris Froome in the Alps and Pyrenees but he's also the man they would look to should Froome crash out. He doesn't want to be losing time today but he faces a long trip back because Sky can't afford to send riders back to help him - they are more concerned with Froome.

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Sagan is not having a good time at the moment Andrew. He's currently trying to get back to the peloton having dropped back, presumably to have a mechanical issue, like a puncture, sorted out. He is wearing the white jersey as the best-placed under-25 rider in the race. He doesn't want to use up too much energy here with Holme Moss beckoning.

Half of his team-mates have dropped back to help pace him back to the main bunch.

Andrew Harvey:, external Can't look beyond Sagan for the stage win today, this bumpy stage is this man's bread and butter.

The riders are buzzing through Honley and are on their way to Holmfirth, home of Foggy, Compo, Clegg and Nora Batty and her wrinkled stockings.

This lead is disappearing more quickly than a Yorkshireman drinks a pint of bitter. It's down to 45 seconds, so maybe I should salute them all now before they get swallowed by the thirsty peloton.

They raced clear at the start of today's stage in York, more than 100km ago. Chapeau to Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar), Matthew Busche (Trek), Cyril Lemoine (Cofidis), David de la Cruz (NetApp), Armindo Fonseca (Bretagne), Blel Kadri (AG2R) and Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol).

Tom, via text: Stood 300m from the finish line. Great atmosphere and getting busy. Lots of Yorkshire folk hoping for some free stuff!

The race is heading into Huddersfield and once again the good folk of Yorkshire are out in their thousands.

In his stage-by-stage guide for the BBC Sport website, Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas said: "There will be a tense big race into the bottom of Holme Moss, which is a well-known climb from the Tour of Britain, to make sure you're in a decent position - we will want to be near the front with Chris Froome. It comes just 60km from the finish and it will be full gas from there on in."

That will explain the increase in pace in the peloton then.

Polkadot Jersey
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And it's Lemoine and De La Cruz again, fighting for the points on offer. Cofidis rider Lemoine looks at his rival and says you're not having this and beats him to the top by a bike length.

Two points for the Frenchman and he is in the virtual lead for the King of the Mountains classification. But his lead is being whittled away and there are still five climbs to go, so plenty of points on offer. The lead is 75 seconds as we hit 80km to go.

Image source, Getty Images

It's the big one next. Holme Moss. Reports that 60,000 spectators are on that particular hill.

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Has the peloton decided that it is time to up the tempo and close this break down? The leaders are closing in on the summit of Greetland but their lead is under 90 seconds. Will Lemoine go for it and try to get himself in the polka dot King of the Mountains jersey.

Some stunning aerial shots of the route have been taken from the National Police Air Service helicopter,, external which is based in Carr Gate, West Yorkshire.

They've snapped Yorkshire cattle...

Image source, NPASCARRGATE/Twitter

Yorkshire flags sketched on t'road...

Image source, NPASCARRGATE/twitter

And, er, Mexican musicians...

Image source, NPASCARRGATE/Twitter

The climbs are coming thick and fast now and next up is Cote de Greetland - another category three ascent of 1.6km at 6.7%. With each passing hill, the legs will be weakening. Who has the strength?

Time to start texting and tweeting your picks for stage winner. Texts to 81111 and tweets to #bbccyling

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Cyril Lemoine is first over the top and he picks up two points because Cote de Ripponden is a category three climb. He is now level on points with Jens Voigt, who is wearing that jersey today because of his exploits on stage one. NetApp Endura's David De La Cruz was second over the summit and he collects one point.

One of the Garmin-Sharp riders is a little agitated with the number of fans on the roadside, and slaps what looks like a camera phone out of someone's hand.

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It's single file only as they approach the summit due to the amazing number of people on the roadside. I cannot get over how many people have turned out for Le Tour de Yorkshire. Chapeau to each and every one of you. There's a fight for the polka dot points...

Polkadot Jersey
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The leaders meanwhile, are on the Cote de Ripponden. It's only 1.3km long but has an average gradient of 8.6% and the seven out front appear to be toiling a little. Lots of messages painted on the road from 'No way Contador' to 'Va Va Froome' and the comical 'Wet Paint'.

How many bottles can you stuff down your jersey? Europcar's Japanese rider Yukiya Arashiro is on domestique duties back at the team car, busily finding space for as many as he can to distribute to his team-mates, who include Tommy Voeckler. I counted seven, but I may have missed a couple.

Another Frenchman, sprinter Arnaud Demare comes sliding to a halt on a descent and his FDJ car pulls over to supply the national road race champion with a new front wheel - all done and dusted in seconds.

One of the riders was just changing a shoe, while still moving. He nonchalantly passed his problem boot to his team car and then casually put the replacement one on, all while going up a slight incline. Impressive. Impressive too are the number of fans between Cragg Vale and Ripponden as the race flirts with Greater Manchester.

Image source, JamesVincent/Twitter

BBC Radio Sheffield's James Vincent:, external Amazing views of industrial Sheffield and Rotherham as the crowds get bigger on Jenkin Road.

Are Yorkshire folk stereotyped as patient or impatient? I'm not sure. But these folk waiting in Sheffield are showing endurance that the cyclists would be proud of. The riders will whizz past this spot, which is 5km away from the finish line, about 16:20 BST.

Energy bars are being hungrily stuffed into mouths as the riders refuel and it's vital they get some serious calories on board for the second half of today's stage. There are seven categorised climbs to come remember and it promises to be a brutal finish.

The Cote de Ripponden is the next serious climb.

Image source, Tour de France

John Hetherington:, external Just ridden the last part of the stage. Climb isn't too bad but the descent is technical. Crash potential.

If I wasn't having such a Yorkshire love-in today, I might have to take issue with Mrs Ennis-Hill there.

The leaders are taking their food bags, or musettes, on board in Mytholmroyd and there's been an accident. One of the Garmin-Sharp riders has lost his back wheel after colliding with a Giant-Shimano rider. No drama though. The mechanics rectify the situation with new bikes and wheels and both are off and pedalling again.