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Live Reporting

Peter Scrivener

All times stated are UK

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  1. Until tomorrow

    It's a slightly later start on Sunday because there's just 28km to race and 22 teams to complete it. So, you've got plenty of time to nip out for a morning warm-up of your own.

    The first team down the ramp in Vannes is scheduled to depart at 14:00 BST and I'll be here to take you through every pedal revolution to Plumelec.

    Today's report is taking shape, so thanks for your company today and I'll see you back here for more tomorrow.

  2. Geraint's guide

    Tour de France stage nine profile

    Here's Geraint's guide to stage nine: "The tactics for a team time trial are simple: ride as fast you can and get the fifth guy over the line as quickly as possible because that is when the clock stops and all the riders in your team get credited with that time.

    "It's a bit different to a normal team time trial because the profile is quite lumpy, and after eight days of hard racing there'll be a few teams who don't start with nine riders but six or seven. When you have to finish with five that will make it harder again."

    Geraint's one to watch: "I can't see beyond the usual suspects like Team Sky, Etixx - Quick-Step, Orica-GreenEdge, Astana and BMC."

  3. On to stage nine

    Just one more stage to come then before a well-earned rest day for the riders. There's no let up though with Sunday's stage nine being a 28km team time trial.

    It's a lumpy, bumpy affair with an uphill drag to the finish and with the time not stopping until the fifth rider is over the line, expect a big shake-up in the standings.

    Orica GreenEdge are normally a good bet but their depleted ranks will hinder them, while BMC Racing may fancy their chances of getting Tejay van Garderen into the yellow jersey.

    Expect Team Sky to have something to say about that though.

  4. Loser Nibali

    Yellow Jersey

    Classification

    So no change in the top five, or indeed between Chris Froome and two of his three main rivals for the overall win. Alberto Contador remains 36 seconds adrift, while Nairo Quintana is one minute 56 seconds back.

    Vincenzo Nibali was the surprise of the day though, losing another 10 seconds on a climb that should have suited his more explosive style. The defending champion is now one minute, 48 seconds behind race leader Froome.

  5. Standings after stage eight

    Yellow Jersey

    Classification

    1 Chris Froome (GB) Team Sky 31hrs 01mins 56secs

    2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo +11 secs

    3 Tejay van Garderen (US) BMC Racing +13secs

    4 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto-Soudal +26secs

    5 Greg van Avermaert (Bel) BMC Racing +28secs

  6. Yates looking to Pyrenees

    British youngster Adam Yates had a real go up the Mur de Bretagne and was still puffing a bit when a microphone was shoved under his nose.

    The Orica GreenEdge rider said: "I tried following Vuillermoz but I had nothing left. I did what I could. We've lost a couple of major guys but we'll wait for the mountains and see what me and my brother Simon can do there, maybe try and get in a break or two."

  7. Distraught Dan

    A distraught Dan Martin of the Cannondale-Garmin team said: "I knew what I had to do but I couldn't get out. I was stuck on the right-hand barrier and I couldn't move. I'm really disappointed because they guys rode incredibly well."

  8. Stage five result

    1. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R 4hrs 20mins 55secs

    2. Daniel Martin (Ire) Cannondale +5secs

    3. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar +10secs

    4. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff - Saxo Same time

    5. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto

    6. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing

    7. Adam Yates (GB) Orica

    8. Chris Froome (GB) Team Sky

    9. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek

    10. Tejay van Garderen (US) BMC Racing

  9. A surprising winner?

    Well, that was a bit of a shock. Vuillermoz went clear with about 500m to go and nobody had the legs to catch him. It's a first French victory of the 2015 Tour.

    Ireland's Dan Martin was five seconds adrift in second, with Alejandro Valverde a further five seconds back, leading Peter Sagan, Tony Gallopin and the group that contained Chris Froome and co.

    Alexis Vuillermoz
  10. Nibali loses 10 seconds

    Chris Froome finished about eighth, alongside Alberto Contador and Nairo Quintana. The big loser is going to be Vincenzo Nibali though. He has shipped a further 10 seconds.

  11. Post update

    Dan Martin second, Alejandro Valverde second. Rest to follow.

  12. Vuillermoz wins

    AG2R's Alexis Vuillermoz wins stage eight.

    Vuillermoz
  13. Post update

    Vincenzo Nibali is dropped.

  14. Final kilo

    We go under the 1km to banner and Chris Froome is not out of this. He is riding tempo and has caught Yates and gone past him and the yellow jersey is leading the peloton up the Mur de Bretagne.

  15. Post update

    Geraint Thomas is pacing Chris Froome. Joaquim Rodriguez in their shadow. One of the Yates brothers is going for it. 1.5km to go.

  16. On the Mur de Bretagne

    The riders swing right and hit the bottom of the Mur de Bretagne. Here we go then. just 2km to go.

  17. 2.5km to go

    You could have forgiven the Orica GreenEdge boys for not getting too animated today given their depleted numbers and a tough team time trial to come tomorrow. But they have British twins Adam and Simon Yates in their ranks. Both the Yates boys like a climb.

    Richie Porte takes over the on the front for Team Sky as we hit the 2.5km to mark. Ireland's Dan Martin is also up there.

  18. Post update

    They swing left round this tight 120 degree corner and everyone is round nice and safe. Geraint Thomas is suddenly up in second place. No prizes for guessing who is right on his wheel as they go under the 4km to go banner.

  19. 5km to go

    The pace is high, as Rob Hayles predicted, with everyone fighting for position heading into the this tight, almost u-turn, that is coming up.

    Green points jersey leader Andre Greipel is spat out the back of the peloton.

    If Peter Sagan is still up near the front he could take enough points to nick the jersey off the Gorilla.

  20. Escape over

    Bak and Golas are gobbled up by the peloton and BMC have taken over pacing duties. They have Greg van Avermaert in their midst. He is a definite candidate for the stage win. They also have Tejay van Garderen who is fifth overall and very much in contention. 7km to go.

  21. Astana hit the front

    The light-blue jerseys of Astana take over at the front of the peloton. They have Vincenzo Nibali looking to claw back a few seconds on Chris Froome in the overall standings. Froome is handily placed with Geraint Thomas, as he has been since day two, right in front of him.

  22. Crash in the peloton

    There has been a crash towards the back of the peloton. Nicolas Edet of Cofidis is one of two riders to hit the deck. No dramas for the main protagonists.

    The leaders are toiling up a rather steep incline and Huzarski drops back to the peloton which is just 15 seconds behind as they go under the 10km to go archway.

  23. Post update

    Rob Hayles

    Former GB cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    With about 4km to go there's a huge 120 degree turn which they will be fighting for position for. Then with 2km to go there is a right-angled turn and then they are on to the final climb.

  24. Leaders hanging on

    The leading trio of Bak, Golas and Huzarski are being left dangling by the peloton. Their advantage is sticking around the 30-second mark as they wind their way to the bottom of the Mur de Bretagne. Just 13km remaining. 11km to the Mur.

  25. Didi the Devil

    Simon Brotherton

    Cycling commentator on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    There's Didi the Devil. We thought he'd hung the trident up. He doesn't leap up and down with quite the same enthusiasm of 20 years ago but it's good to see him.

  26. Yorkshire, Yorkshire...

    Matt Slater

    BBC Sport at the Tour de France

    Huge crowd on Le Mur now, some have been there since early this morning.

    Spoke to lots of Brits on the way up, including a couple from Jersey at their 21st Tour. Another couple from Yorkshire, however, had just bought a farm house 20 minutes' walk from the finish line.

    Despite missing last year's Tour at home, they were certain that Yorkshire did it better. You can take the boy out of Keighley but you can't take the...

  27. MTN-Qhuebeka chasing victory

    Talking to letour.com, team boss Douglas Ryder said: "If Rodriguez doesn't win today, we'll have the polka dot jersey in the Pyrenees, which is amazing! And we'll do our best for Rodriguez not to win today because we want to win today. We have won at Mur-de-Bretagne before, when we were a continental team at the 2012 Tour de Bretagne, and we want to win with the same rider: Reinardt Janse van Rensburg.

  28. Post update

    Rob Hayles

    Former GB cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    With 10 Brits in the race there's bound to be a lot of British fans, particularly with us being not too far from home right now. Just wait until we get to the mountains and everyone is down there with their campervans on holiday. They set up their satellite dishes, watch the race on TV, jump outside to watch the riders go past and then jump back inside to watch the finish.

    British fans at the Tour de France
  29. 20km remaining

    The pace is on in the peloton and the leading trio are now just 25 seconds clear. Cannondale-Garmin continuing to do all the chasing through rural Brittany.

  30. Post update

    Rob Hayles

    Former GB cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    Froome has ridden very aggressively and if he gets himself with a clear bit of road he could go for the stage win. If it was a one-day race you'd say no but this far in to the Tour, he might fancy it. Vincenzo Nibali could have a go as well. It's not a gradient for Nairo Quintana. He's waiting to get into the high mountains.

  31. Post update

    Simon Brotherton

    Cycling commentator on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    Effectively, we're all waiting for this final climb. Cadel Evans won when the race came here in 2011 and he went on to win the race.

  32. Post update

    The race zips past a field full of tractors positioned in such a way that they are supposed to look like a bike from the overhead shot. I'll be honest. It's not the best bit of sculpture I've seen. Just 25km remaining.

  33. Team Sky well positioned

    Back in the peloton, Team Sky are lined up down the left-hand side of the road again. British national road race champion Pete Kennaugh leading the way with Welshman Luke Rowe the next in line. The white-rimmed sunglasses of Geraint Thomas a couple of riders further back.

  34. 30km remaining

    Cannondale-Garmin are continuing to pace the peloton as the leaders race past a wedding.

    Rob Hayles, who had been discussing Mark Cavendish's expert sprint on stage seven is cut short by Simon Brotherton who exclaims. "There's a wedding! The happy couple are in the middle of their guests who have formed a heart shape around them. That's beautiful.

    "I've lost my train of thought," says a bewildered Rob.

    The trio out front have had their lead trimmed to a fraction under one minute.

    Tour de France riders breakaway
  35. Pinot plans change

    Thibaut Pinot

    One man who definitely won't be going for the stage win today is big French hope Thibaut Pinot.

    The FDJ rider finished on the podium at last year's Tour, sparking hopes he could become the first home winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985.

    But a couple of tumbles and mechanicals on the cobbles earlier in the week have put paid to his hopes of of repeating that feat so his plans have changed.

    He told the letour.com website: "My injured knee is getting better. I'm looking forward to Tuesday in the mountains. After the rest day, I'll figure out what I can really hope for in this Tour de France. I'm six minutes down, I can't target the top 5 anymore and I'm not interested by the top 10. So a nice stage win in the mountains will be my goal. The polka dot jersey could be a goal as well but it's complicated because of the points scale at the finishing summits."

  36. More joy for Qhubeka?

    One of Teklehaimanot's team-mates is Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, a man who knows today's finish well, having won stage four in the 2012 Tour de Bretagne. He couldn't. Could he?

  37. Post update

    Matt Slater

    BBC Sport at the Tour de France

    With the press centre in another department, I have stowed away at the back of the commentary box.

    Pros: I can see the race and maybe grab a rider or two before they ride back to their buses. Cons: I have missed a spectacular press buffet.

    But while foraging for food, I met the mayor of St Gilles-Vieux-Marche who was quick to point that the finish line is on his patch, not that mob from Mur de Bretagne.

  38. 40km remaining

    Polkadot Jersey

    Classification

    It has all settled down on the road after that bit of excitement around the intermediate sprint.

    Golas, Bak and Huzarski are riding hard at the front but they cannot stretch their lead beyond 70 seconds.

    A shot of the polka dot jersey, which is being worn by Eritrean Daniel Teklehaimanot. He is doing domestique duties, collecting water bottles from the team car for his MTN-Qhebeka team-mates.

    Teklehaimanot will stay in the polka dots for a third day so long as Joaquim Rodriguez does not win today's race. Rodriguez won Monday's climb of Mur de Huy remember.

    daniel teklehaminot
  39. Shhhh...don't tell the wife

    On her way to the top of the Mur de Bretagne, Gemma encountered the Jersey Boys...

    Jersey boys

    ...apparently some of their wives don't know they're on holiday.

  40. Inside the last 50km

    The three out front are working well together and are about 70 seconds clear of the peloton which has caught those pesky riders who went on the counter-attack.

    A rare sight of the Cannondale-Garmin train dragging the peloton along.

  41. Paolini's cocaine test

    Rob Hayles

    Former GB cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    On Luca Paolini's positive drugs test for cocaine: "The mind boggles. If it had been out of competition he would have got a telling off because it's not against the rules. In competition is automatic ban. He's not taken this during the competition. There's talk of how long cocaine lasts in the system. There's talk of three weeks and it can be longer if you have it with alcohol. It was an expensive night out and at 38 you've got to figure it's career over."

  42. Tweet us via #bbccycling

    Alex James: Going Rui Costa for stage today. Dan Martin & Valverde in with a shout. Expect Froome to keep yellow. #TDF

    Matt Taggart: Sagan to win, taking the jersey off of Froome, giving Sky a breather and TCS a Contador-shaped headache. And then I wake up... #bbccycling

  43. 53km remaining

    Rob Hayles

    Former GB cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    Peter Sagan would have to win the stage and finish one second ahead of Chris Froome to take the yellow jersey on time bonus. Froome is riding too well for that to happen but if he was to lose the jersey it wouldn't be too bad.

  44. More pics of the Mur

    Gemma reckons she didn't have time to get all the way to the bottom of the hill...

    The Mur de Bretagne
  45. Post update

    BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    Radio commentary is under way with Simon and Rob. Click through at the top of this page.

    Si took a photo on the way to the finish - this is just over 1km from the summit...

    Mur de Bretagne
  46. Three out front

    There is lots of confusion on the road. Some riders want to push on to the finish, others are looking for a free ride. So three riders strike out on their own from the counter-attack.

    Denmark's Lotto-Soudal rider Lars Bak, and Polish pair Michal Golas and Bartosz Huzarski are 41 seconds clear of the peloton, which is where Chris Froome is.

    There is a group between the leaders and Froome. Awaiting confirmation of who is in that.

  47. Coming up

    BBC Sport's Gemma Sterba has been up and down the Mur de Bretagne to get a flavour of just how steep the climb is...

    Road sign
  48. Counter-attack

    There has been a counter-attack on the back of the intermediate sprint and there are one or two interesting riders in there. Pierre Rolland looked like he instigated it. World champion Michal Kwiatkowski, who would be at home on the Mur de Bretagne,is in amongst the leaders.

    Team Sky have immediately gone to the front of the peloton. They need to work to bring this break back.

    The four who were out front have been swept up. The leading bunch are 23 seconds clear.

  49. Greipel gains

    Green Jersey

    Classification

    One minute later Andre Greipel springs clear to win the race from the peloton. Mark Cavendish is fourth from the peloton, so eighth overall. I'll update the scores for you once I get them.

  50. Perichon wins sprint

    Green Jersey

    Classification

    To the delight of the home fans Bretagne Seche rider Pierre-Luc Perichon takes off a couple of hundred metres from the line. He is followed by Bartosz Huzarski but the Bora-Argon 18 rider cannot get round him. Twenty points for Perichon.

  51. Time to sprint

    Green Jersey

    Classification

    Here come the leaders into the intermediate sprint...will they roll through the line as they did atop the Col du Mont Bel-Air? The fans on the side of the road are hoping not.

    There are 1500 euros on offer as an incentive if anyone can be bothered to go for it. It's uphill and all four riders are out of their saddles. This doesn't look like it's going be that easy for the sprinters.

    Back in the peloton Mark Cavendish is tracking Andre Greipel's every move...

  52. Tweet us via #bbccycling

    Sarah Lodge: That would be @tonymartin85 #bbccycling that'll be an impressive scar!!

    Suzannah Taggart: That'll be a proper warrior's scar for Tony Martin

    Richard Knott: I've got a collection of bidons from most teams, normally thrown out of team cars on the last mountain of the day not sure why? #bbccycling

  53. Big crowds on the Mur de Bretagne

    Matt Slater

    BBC Sport at the Tour de France

    It has taken just over a week but for the first time on this year's Tour we are officially in the middle of nowhere, or deep in the heart of Le France Profonde.

    That has not stopped thousands of fans walking or riding up the 2km hill that is the Mur de Bretagne. We should not be too surprised as cycling is part of the social fabric here - it is also popular with British gite-owners.

    But everybody on Le Mur today really wants to be here. The press centre is six miles away and there is no room for the team coaches at the top. They must park up with the mobile homes at the foot of the climb.

  54. Post update

    The peloton is squeezing through, passing the 10km to go to the intermediate sprint banner. They reach the summit two minutes, 12 seconds adrift of the four out front.

  55. Sicard takes the point

    Polkadot Jersey

    Classification

    The road is narrowing and the hundreds of fans on the side of the road are making it even more hemmed in. There's just about space for the riders to go through two abreast. You normally don't get scenes like these until you get into the big mountains.

    The summit is upon us and there is no contest for the point. Europcar's Romain Sicard is first over the top.

  56. On the road

    Polkadot Jersey

    Classification

    It's very much as you were with our four escapees a couple of minutes clear of a Lotto-Soudal-led peloton.

    The quartet out front is on the first of today's two climbs. It's a tiddler though. A category four ascent of Col du Mont Bel-Air that is just 1.5km long with an average gradient of 5.7%.

    Just one point on offer in the King of the Mountains classification to the man over the top first.

  57. Guess who

    Guess who

    And while you're at it, tweet #bbccycling with your guesses. No prizes, it's just for fun.

  58. Tweet us via #bbccycling

    The riders are drifting through the feed station and are hungrily delving into their musettes to see what goodies are on offer today. A couple of energy gels, a muesli bar, a spot of juice. It doesn't change much.

    The roadside fans are not daft, waiting a few hundred yards or so up the road, to scavenge any discarded bits of food and drink and the bags that they are stored in.

    What's the best freebie you've walked away from the Tour with? My son was handed a water bottle (and a pat on the head) by Movistar's Jose Joaquin Rojas in Harrogate after stage one last year.

    He's yet to forgive me for losing it...

    #bbccycling

  59. Sagan v Contador

    White Jersey

    Classification

    Peter Sagan (left) and Alberto Contador

    It's all rather friendly out on the road with Alberto Contador flashing a smile towards the camera, while Slovakia's Peter Sagan, who is second overall and the wearer of the white jersey as the best Under-25 rider, is clearly enjoying himself.

    Today's finish would normally be perfect for Sagan but he rides for the same Tinkoff-Saxo team as Contador and the Spaniard is in need of making up a few of the 36 seconds he is behind Chris Froome.

    Team tactics may dictate that Sagan is needed to help Contador. That may, in turn, see Sagan more animated in the intermediate sprint as he chases a fourth successive green jersey.

  60. Tweet us via #bbccycling

    Former Downing Street press secretary and Tony Blair's director of communications and strategy Alastair Campbell knows how to spend a Saturday afternoon.

    "I think we can now safely say it is England one up. Warner, Smith, now Clarke for 4 - no way back. Tour de France can now win the channel hop quota game. Tennis a poor third."

  61. Standings after stage seven

    Green Jersey

    Classification

    Here's how the race for the green jersey is going. There will be 20 points up for grabs in today's intermediate sprint, which is coming up in about 20 kilometres.

    1 Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Soudal 199 points

    2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 187

    3 Mark Cavendish (GB) Etixx - Quick-Step 151

    4 John Degenkolb (Ger) Giant-Alpecin 148

    5 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Europcar 96

  62. Post update

    The leaders are two minutes 20 seconds clear of the peloton as they reach 100km to go in today's stage.

    The Lotto-Soudal team of green points jersey wearer Andre Greipel are doing all the work on the front of the main bunch - I say all the work, nobody is really putting the hammer down and the riders have covered 80km in the first two hours.

    The leaders pack
  63. In the break

    Today's racing started at 11:59 BST and after a few failed breakaway attempts, four riders snapped the elastic and shot off into the distance.

    No surprises to see Pierre-Luc Perichon of the Bretagne-Seche Environement team among the quartet. His team manager will have demanded that at least one of his riders made the break as they ride through their home region.

    Romain Sicard of Europcar will no doubt have had similar instructions given his team is based in the north-west of France..

    They have good company in Sylvain Chavanel. The 36-year-old Frenchman has won three Tour stages, spent time in the race leader's yellow jersey and is riding his 15th lap of France.

    The other riding clear of the peloton is Bartosz Huzarski (Bora-Argon 18).

    Tour de France in the break
  64. Tweet us via #bbccycling

    BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    So, it's the usual early call for stage predictions.

    Commentator Simon Brotherton is going Dan Martin, Rob Hayles can't split Orica GreenEdge's British twins Adam and Simon Yates, while Matt Slater is going for local boy Warren Barguil who hails from Inzinzac-Lochrist, 63km away from Mur-de-Bretagne.

    All predict Chris Froome to be in yellow at the end of the stage.

    They've told you theirs, now you tell them yours. #bbccycling

    Live commentary from 15:00 BST on this very webpage.

  65. Geraint on stage eight

    Geraint Thomas

    Britain's Geraint Thomas may well like today's finishing climb. The Team Sky rider, who has had a tremendous opening week, keeping his team leader Chris Froome safe, had earmarked the Mur de Huy on Monday as one he might chase. That didn't work out. Could today be G's day while the yellow jersey contenders are eyeing each other up?

    Here's what he had to say about stage eight: "We rode the Mur de Bretagne at the 2011 Tour when I was in the white jersey as best young rider. It was a real sting in the tale after a heavy day in the rain. It will certainly be a stressful finish and we could see a breakaway or a sprint.

    "Even somebody like Alberto Contador might go for the win if they are feeling confident, because this year there is a time bonus of 10 seconds for stage wins."

    Geraint's one to watch: "The stage profile seems to suggest a puncher like Alejandro Valverde but maybe a confident Contador could spring a surprise."

  66. Stage eight

    Tour de France stage eight profile

    Le Tour de France: Stage 8: Rennes > Mûr de Bretagne - 181,5 km. New fierce episode on the finale climb of the 2nd "Wall" of #TDF2015

  67. A day in Brittany

    Today's 181.5km stage is also going to be a gentle pootle, for the first 150km or so anyway, as the Tour circus moves across Brittany from Rennes to an interesting finish atop the Mur de Bretagne.

    It's not quite as steep an ascent as the Mur de Huy on Monday, which was won by Joaquim Rodriguez with Chris Froome finishing second to take the yellow jersey.

    However, it's a little longer at 2km and Team Sky leader Froome reckons: "It's not going to be as selective as the Mur de Huy but we can certainly expect there to be small gaps."

  68. Cav is back

    Mark Cavendish

    Hello and welcome to live text and radio commentary (from 15:00 BST) of stage eight of the 2015 Tour de France.

    Friday's stage seven was a gentle pootle through the Normandy countryside into Brittany.

    It ended, of course, with a crackerjack finish and Mark Cavendish notching his 26th Tour victory to go third on his own on the all-time list. He's now just two behind five-time Tour winning legends Bernard Hinault and six adrift of Eddy Merckx.

    It was Cav's first Tour stage win in two years and his wife Peta Todd (pictured below) was quick to nick his "super happy" catchphrase when describing her emotions.

  69. A winning kiss

    Mark Cavendish and wife Peta Todd

    Le Tour de France: A 26th victory on the TDF for M.Cavendish / Une 26ième victoire pour M.Cavendish sur le TDF