Contador has a gopublished at 15:40
Hmm, scratch that. Alberto Contador has a big dig off the front of the yellow jersey group.
Summary
Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez wins stage
Denmark's Jakob Fuglsang second, Frenchman Romain Bardet third
Chris Froome fends off numerous late attacks
His yellow-jersey lead is unscathed
Third and final day in the Pyrenees
Contador has a gopublished at 15:40
Postpublished at 15:40
Richie Porte - wearing the polka dot jersey - is on the front of the yellow jersey group, Geraint Thomas behind him and Chris Froome in third.
Alberto Contador looks anything but smooth.
Rodriguez on the movepublished at 15:38
Drama at the front, with an excellent surge from Joaquim Rodriguez taking him clear of the group of three chasing Michal Kwiatkowski.
Postpublished at 15:35
Excellent news on the commentary front - you can once again listen to Simon Brotherton and Rob Hayles using the play button.
8.5km to gopublished at 15:34
All the big guns towards the front of the yellow jersey group. No big move from any of the GC contenders so far.
Michal Kwiatkowski's lead up at the front is now 23 seconds from the three riders hot on his tail (Rodriguez, Bardet, Fuglsang).
The Pole is still nine minutes clear of the Froome group.
get involved Get Involvedpublished at 15:31
Your top speeds...
10km to gopublished at 15:29
The Astana team are setting the pace in the yellow jersey group.
Up the road, Fuglsang, Bardet, Rodriguez and Meintjes are all desperately trying to catch Kwiatkowski.
The Pole has a one-minute advantage.
Living on a prayerpublished at 15:25
Yesterday the Tour went past the halfway point in terms of distance covered.
In total there are 21 stages with 3,360km of cycling. So far all of the riders have spent at least 41 hours in the saddle.
Wonder if most of the peloton see it as a positive - or think "Just halfway? You've gotta be kidding me!"
Image source, AFPPostpublished at 15:24
Quote MessageThis has been a momentous ride for Michal Kwiatkowski. If the rumours are true about a move to Team Sky, the galacticos look of their squad will only grow next season. Chris Froome and friends have just started the climb up the Plateau de Beille, more than 10 minutes behind, the Polish world champion, and I have been looking forward to this half an hour all day. Will Team Sky try to put more time into Froome's rivals? Can Contador, Quintana or Van Gardenen take some back? Pull the chair a little closer and watch very closely.
Matt Slater, BBC Sport at the Tour de France
12.5km to gopublished at 15:20
Michal Kwiatkowski, the world road race champion, is now out on his own at the front, having left Sep Vanmarcke behind.
Still hammering down - or at least, there is lots of spray.
Radio issuespublished at 15:15
Image source, APThe weather seems to be playing all kinds of havoc.
We're having a few problems with our audio commentary from France at the moment. Simon Brotherton and Rob Hayles are out there at the finish line and we'll hopefully have them back soon.
Race within a racepublished at 15:12
We could have two races at once here. The first will involve whether one of those those who have been away for most of the day can claim the stage.
The second will involve attacks on the yellow jersey - and whether any of the GC contenders currently in the yellow jersey group can take time out of Chris Froome.
get involved Get Involvedpublished at 15:09
What's your top speed?
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17.5km to gopublished at 15:07
Michal Kwiatkowski and Sep Vanmarcke are approaching the bottom of the Plateau de Beille. They are getting very wet.
Izagirre, Cherel, Bardet, Rodriguez, Fuglsang, Meintjes - slightly battered after his crash - and Barta are still trying to catch them.
The yellow jersey group still has 25km to go.
Image source, APPostpublished at 15:01
The wise man (or woman) always brings a brolly.
Image source, PAPostpublished at 14:57
Quote MessageIt is pretty grim out on the road. Chris Froome and all the main contenders are in a reduced peloton heading down the Port de Lers. That is the final descent of the day and they are lucky that the rain is ahead of them. It is currently hammering down on the guys 10 minutes further up the road. They have less than 30km to go now but they are a very hard 30km getting harder all the time.
Matt Slater, BBC Sport at the Tour de France
Postpublished at 14:56 British Summer Time 16 July 2015
Quote MessageI have been wondering how it was 30C and yet still so green in the Pyrenees. Mystery solved - they have monsoons here and the press corps are currently holed up in a leaking tent. I am not complaining at all. On the drive up to the finish line, 1,780m up the Plateau de Beille, we passed the usual thousand or so amateur cyclists - young, old, male, female - all clad in lycra and often with just what they could stuff into their jersey pockets. I would like to give them all a hug now...but I would get wet.
Matt Slater, BBC Sport at the Tour de France
Scenes from the finish linepublished at 14:54
Taking stock - 30km to gopublished at 14:51
For those just joining us, here is what is happening.
The weather is looking dodgy, hammering down at the finish line.
Michal Kwiatkowski and Sep Vanmarcke are out on their own, with seven riders less than a minute back and trying to catch them.
They are on the flat as they approach the brutal climb up to the summit finish at Plateau de Beille.
The main field is more than 10 minutes back, with Chris Froome and the other yellow jersey contenders in that group.
We could well be looking at another breakaway win - but will anyone try to take some time out of Froome? Surely they have to.
What goes up...published at 14:46
Most riders may have laboured up the huge Tourmalet on Wednesday, sliding off the back of the diminishing main group.
But it sure does seem as though they enjoyed going down - or at least the speeds they achieved - and were keen to share some of their exploits.
Mark Cavendish tweeted to say that he reached 101.9km per hour. In old money that is 63.3 miles. That's a speeding ticket on most roads.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has gone that fast. Where was it and what did it feel like?
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