All that wet stuff means you don't want to have to descend like a mad man in the final stretch of this race.

But if Roman Kreuziger is denying you a podium place - you might have to.

It's Astana who have picked up the gauntlet in the peloton, increasing the pace to close that gap to the breakaway.

Their man Fabio Aru is one of the riders to be overhauled by Roman Kreuziger's lead on the stage.

In fact Astana peel off the front, but Aru doesn't fancy joining them. So Team Sky have no interest in joining them either.

Astana end up forlornly slowing and rejoining the peloton. 

Peter Sagan is giving it a right slog today for his team-mate Roman Kreuziger. He's at the front of the lead group, driving (not in a car, before a comedian tweets me) up this ascent to Col de la Ramaz.

His work so far has put his Tinkoff team-mate into second on the virtual classification. but the gap to the peloton has diminished slightly to 5mins 37secs.

Image source, Getty/Rex

Alex Shcnopple: Running up Mont Ventoux was a great watch, shows his passion, determination & great character - an #InspiratonalRoleModel :D

LLL: Best moment for me was @chrisfroome punch-pushing the silly fan out of the way, worth every cent of 200 SUI Francs :-)

Hmmm. Pierre Rolland takes a water bottle from his Cannondale team car. He then sticks his right hand back out, grabs the hand of the guy in the passenger seat, drops the pace a bit and then slings forward with the help of his support team member.

Adam Yates received a 10-second penalty yesterday for doing the exact same thing, but with a team-mate on a bike.

So, if the rules are applied consistently and fairly, Rolland will receive a penalty.

But will he?

The Roman Kreuziger group is about to start climbing the penultimate ascent today - Col de la Ramaz - and they're doing it in driving rain.

Dave, below, has kindly shown us what to expect on the other side. We can probably expect a few riders sliding across the tarmac.

Kreuziger still has his Tinkoff buddy Peter Sagan up there with him for help in that breakaway group - although he'll surely drift off at some point.

Tinkoff's Roman Kreuziger is in the leading group of riders on the road and is more than six minutes in front of the yellow jersey group.

It's such a tasty lead, that it puts him second on the vjrtual general classification - ahead of Romain Bardet and Nairo Quintana.

But is he a threat to Chris Froome's lead?

Well, Kreiziger is now 3mins 44secs within the Team Sky rider. So as it stands, the Czech national champion is not a concern.

Rob Hayles
Former GB cyclist

Image source, Getty/Rex

"For me it was the thrilling nail-biting descent from the top of Peyresourde. No-one, including the media, the fans, his rivals or his team-mates saw it coming. And even though he trusts him completely, I think that victory even gave his boss Sir Dave Brailsford palpitations." 

The leaders have 40 seconds on the chase group. Pierre Rolland is in that bunch and was almost taken out by a Portuguese flag. It got tangled in his handlebars and then flaps away in the breeze - Rolland shakes his head in disgust.

There really are some plonkers out there.

The front group is actually staring to separate.

Sagan, Kreuziger, Pantano, Nibali, Alaphilippe and Jon Izaguirre are the only men up there.

Team Sky's Sergio Henao is trying to catch them, having suffered a puncture on the last descent.

Peter Sagan, the Slovak slugger, is crouched down, arrowing down this ascent at the front of the race.

He's got 19 riders right behind him in the breakaway - Warren Barguil, Jarlinson Pantano, Vincenzo Nibali, Julian Alaphilippe, Thomas de Gendt and Ilnur Zakarin are in there.

It's chocked full of excellent talent.

Here's something interesting, Roman Kreuziger is in that group, and if the gap of 5mins 34secs stayed as it is, he would move up to second in the general classification!

Image source, Rex Features

Garreth Hayes: Excited to see if @chrisfroome can complete the full set of transport options by finishing the #TDF today in a borrowed truck 

Could he be in a re-make of Planes, Trains and Automobiles?

The yellow jersey group reaches the summit of the second climb and they fan themselves across the road to make sue no other team can get in front and control the pace of the descent.

Chris Froome is sat in the midst of his team, although you can only see the yellow sleeves of his maillot jaune, as he's put on a fetching gillet.

Or body warmer, depending on how fancy you're feeling.

Image source, AFP

The breakaway reaches the top of Col de la Colombiere and it's Thomas de Gendt who snaffles the maximum points, for the second time today. They're no use to him, as Rafal Majka has the polka dot jersey in the bag. But the Belgian loves a race.

There 24 riders in that group, including Peter Sagan and Vincenzo Nibali - the peloton is 4mins 46secs behind.

Yates' boss at Orica, Matthew White, is not a happy chappy about it all.

Yates has had some rum luck on this Tour - having had an inflatable banner fall on his head and having the prospect of wearing the yellow jersey taken away by the aftermath of events on Mont Ventoux.

Speaking on ITV4 earlier, Adam Yates' boss at Orica said: "It's absurd. When you look at what's happened over the last couple of weeks, there have been some dubious decisions made and we've gon along with them for the benefit of the sport. To do this at stage 19 is absurd."