We're at the point where teams will start thinking about getting into a strong position to launch their sprinters.

Leah Kirchmann's Liv-Plantur are keeping an eye on proceedings, tucked in just behind the front of the peloton.

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Four more laps to go as the riders see the Arc de Triomphe loom in the distance for the 10th time today.

We have a peloton pretty much fully in tact, but the pace is high.

Hammes time didn't last very long, Kathrin is brought back in and Audrey Cordon gets right on the front of the peloton to step up the pace.

Kathrin Hammes of Team Tibco has pulled away from the front of the peloton - not a massive gap, but there's certainly a big chunk of that lovely sunlight between them.

Three riders set off to chase her down.

Five laps to go.

Image source, Getty Images

The sun is pouring down on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

There will be an extra slice of yellow later when Chris Froome rides in with his maillot jaune.

Image source, Getty Images

Last year's race was won by Anna van der Breggen after she made a daring break late in the race.

It was a brilliant move and she just clung on to win by a second.

There's every chance we could get a bunch sprint finish though today - names to look out for are Tiffany Cromwell, Lotta Lepisto, Coryn Riveira, Leah Kirchmann, Britain's Lucy Garner and, of course, Marianne Vos.

That didn't last long.

The Parkhotel team drag in the attempted escapees.

It's worth remembering that breakaways might not necessarily be about a tactical move to win the race - getting some camera time for your sponsors might be the motivation.

This event is being broadcast all around the world, and it's smart to keep the guys who write the cheques happy.

There's another attempt at a breakaway, this time instigated by Katarzyna Pawlowska and she has three other riders with her.

So, with no Lizzie Armitstead pulling out, who are the British hopes on the Champs-Elysees?

We've mentioned Hannah Barnes, the British national road race champion, who represents Canyon SRAM.

The remaining three Britons are all from the Wiggle High5 team - Dani KingAmy Roberts and Lucy Garner.

Britain's Hannah Barnes - along with Lucinda Brand, Chantal Blaak and Olga Zabalynskaya - looks like she won't be out front for much longer. The group drew out a 20secs lead, but the peloton, with wiggle High5 setting the pace, are closing in.

Image source, La Course

It's a merry-go-round of mega proportions.

Thirteen laps, equating to 89km, whizzing around the Place de la Concorde, up the Champs-Elysees, a spin around the Arc de Triopmhe and then back down the Champs Elysees.

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Van Der Breggen's absence means that La Course title has still never been defended by a reigning champion.

Marianne Vos, the winner of the inaugural 2014 race, missed last year because of injury. In fact, she dabbled in a spot of punditry if memory serves correctly, and did a fine job.

The Dutch three-time world champion is in Paris today though, and can add a second La Course victory to her impressive palmares.

And the first crash of the day. It may be dry in Paris, unlike last year, but the proximity of the riders means one false move can put quite a few of them on their backsides.

Here we go then, our first sign of intent as four riders breakaway.

Among them is British national road race champion Hannah Barnes.

Image source, Getty Images

There's also another notable absence in today's field, with last year's winner Anna van der Breggen not present after finishing third at the Giro Rosa earlier this month.

The winner of the Giro, and current  WorldTour leader, Megan Guarnier is also not racing.

Those two women finished second and third behind Lizzie Armitstead in last year's world championship road race - so that's the top three all out.

Following that puncture, Australian Tiffany Cromwell is scrambling to get back into the bunch.

And Britain's Dani King might have a technical issue, as she lingers around her team car.

Expect plenty of this throughout the race.

Still no attempts at a breakaway after the first few laps.