Ouch followed by a double dose of the seriously embarrassing.

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We've left Drome, we are now in Hautes-Alpes. 

It has been another fast stage.

Serge Pauwels of MTN-Qhuebeka (aren't they having a great Tour) is the first over the Col de Cabre. Peter Sagan - yes him again - is absolutely flying on the descent.

Pleasingly, Rafal Majka does appear to be OK and has caught up with the main group.

Well we have been discussing tumbles all day and now Rafal Majka and Paul Martens have joined the party, both going down on the climb up the category two Col de Cabre.

Majka, a stage winner this year, appears to have come off worse but is able to continue and is patched up as he makes his way down the road.

We will have commentary of the remainder of this stage on the website from 15:00 BST. Simon Brotherton will be joined by Rob Hayles.

Rob is tipping Matteo Trentin to win today, Simon is going for Edvald Boasson-Hagen and the BBC's Matt Slater is opting for Peter Sagan - based on the law of averages.

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The breakaway are more than 12 minutes clear. Pick your winner from this lot....

Andriy Grivko, Christophe Riblon, Peter Sagan, Thomas De Gendt, Simon Geschke, Marco Haller, Markel Irizar, Bob Jungels, Nelson Oliveira, Ruben Plaza, Daniel Navarro, Pierrick Fedrigo, Adam Hansen, Thomas Voeckler, Michal Golas, Matteo Trentin, Daniel Teklehaimanot, Edvald Boasson-Hagen, Imanol Erviti, Luis Angel Mate, Pierre-Luc Perichon, Jarlinson Pantano and Serge Pauwels.  

No shortage of attention or protection around the Team Sky car and, in the background, bus at the start of today's stage.

Image source, Reuters

Chris Froome must be starting to think that you can add cleverly (or in some case not so cleverly) worded questions that hint at untoward behaviour to taxes and death as the only certainties in life.

You get up, you eat your breakfast, you cycle all day through sweltering temperatures and then you defend the reputation of both you and your team.

It must get fully on his nerves but he always manages to seem very calm.

Perhaps he is just good at placing things in perspective. After all, he is not literally swimming with sharks.   

Didier is Laurent Didier of Trek Factory Racing. He has his work cutout if he wants to bridge that gap.

BBC Sport's Matt Slater has been following the Tour for us - check out his latest podcast if you haven't already - and has written a piece about Team Sky.

Both the team and leader Chris Froome have been under constant scrutiny, surrounded by speculation and suspicion.

Rightly or wrongly? Make sure you read Matt's thoughts on the subject.  

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When the main bunch decides to let a breakway go, the time gap really does climb very quickly.

The 23 riders are now together and almost 10 minutes clear of the peloton. 

We're heading towards the category two climb at Col de Cabre.

Bob Jungels has dropped out of the group of 12 chasing the leading 12 - there is now less than 30 seconds between them but the main bunch is now more than seven minutes behind.

No wonder the chasers want to bridge the gap.

Now, horse v bike - how would that one pan out?  

Image source, EPA

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It's sunnypublished at 13:47

13:47

Not far from the feed zone.

You may not be entirely surprised to read that it is hot, hot, hot again, with temperatures touching 30C at the finish in Gap.

Keep taking liquid on board...

Image source, Getty Images

Today might not be a day for the sprinters but I doubt whether that will bother German Andre Greipel too much.

The Gorilla is having a Tour to remember and claimed his third victory of this year's race when he sprinted to the line in Valence yesterday.

As his team have been quick to point out, that in nine Tour stages in total now for the 33-year-old.