Team Sunweb take up the left-hand side of the road, riding for Australia's Michael Matthews.

This is a full-on sprint to the bottom of the climb and there's about another 4km to that point.

Geraint Thomas is being well marshalled by his Team Sky team-mates. Even Chris Froome is looking round for his pal.

Vasil Kiryienka, a former time trial world champion, has used all those skills to get himself back to the peloton in super-quick time.

There is still a lot of looking around up front but BMC are taking on the pace-setting. "There is no point putting down the hammer if you're team-mate is not with you though," warns Rob Hayles.

Another look over the shoulder for Calmejane. And all he can see is a hungry peloton. Riding 15-abreast across the road and bearing down on him. He's probably trying to work out which side of the road to surrender. The break is done. Let the racing begin.

Vasil Kiryienka was the man tasting tarmac for Team Sky. He is fourth overall. He is trying to chase back on.

A Team Sky rider is down. It's not Geraint. It's not Froome. The TV cameras have gone back to the peloton so I don't know exactly who it is.

But if it had been G or Froome we'd have known about it.

Lilian Calmejane knows his time is up. He looks over his right shoulder twice in the space of about 10 seconds. It's almost as though he wants to be caught.

He's got thousands of fans cheering him on so he has to keep putting in the effort...there's been a crash...

Image source, AFP

Simon Brotherton
Radio 5 live sports extra commentator

The peloton are really trying to up the pace. You can sense that BMC are suddenly all business.

There is a lot of looking around in the peloton. Domestique riders making sure their team leaders and favourites for today's stage win are well placed.

The peloton is spread out fairly widely across the road but the pace is high.

Image source, AFP

If nothing else Lilian Calmejane is going to have one King of the Mountains point to take away from his afternoon in the break. the Frenchman is getting a wonderful reception as he ascends the 1.1km Cote de Villers-la-Montagne.

He's losing a lot of his advantage but he jumps out of his saddle for one last effort over the top.

The peloton is just 30 seconds back now.

Image source, AFP

The familiar blue suits of Movistar appear at the front of the peloton. Rob Hayles says they can't be working that hard just to keep Nairo Quintana out of trouble. He suggests they could be trying to set up Carlos Betancur.

Thomas De Gendt appears to have bonked. Romain Hardy definitely has. Pierre-Luc Perichon is trying to hang on but Lilian Calmejane is out front on his own.

Hardy is almost down to walking pace, his legs barely turning as the peloton hones into view behind him.

De Gendt looks over his shoulder, sits up, takes a drink and succumbs to the inevitable.

Calmejane has a lead of 45 seconds. That will not be enough.

Meanwhile, up the road, our leading four is down to a solo charge for the line and it's not who you'd think...

Here comes BMC Racing to the front of the peloton. They need to make sure their team leader Richie Porte loses no more time to Chris Froome today, but they are also interested in taking the stage win with Greg van Avermaet.

Simon Brotherton and Rob Hayles are going through several names who could go on to win. World champion Peter Sagan is high among them.

"Positioning is going to be crucial on the final climb, as always," says Rob Hayles on commentary.

The four out front are still pushing on. The two Fortuneo boys seem to be doing more work than Thomas De Gendt and Lilian Calmejane.

"He's a wily old fox is De Gendt, having got things going and is now sitting at the back," adds Simon Brotherton. "But he'll do well to win today's stage."

Image source, AFP

Rob Hayles
Former GB cyclist on Radio 5 live sports extra

There’s quite a bit of road furniture through the town so the peloton are having to split themselves because of a large island in the middle of the road. It was one of those moments where you had your heart in your mouth but everyone seems OK.

Well, not me. I'm in Salford. The riders have finally made it into France.

Audun Le Tiche is the town on the border and the riders are zipping through at a furious pace - around 52km/h or 30mp/h if you prefer.

The lead is still around 90 seconds but there are two little hills to negotiate.

The Cote de Villers-la-Montagne is the first. A category four climb. The finish is up the category three Cote des Religieuses in Longwy.

Three Frenchmen and a Belgian are ploughing on out front. Their lead is 97 seconds.

Bora-Hansgrohe's Juraj Sagan is pulling the peloton along. The younger brother and team-mate of Peter has been up near the front for most of the day and will no doubt get a big hug if there is a family winner.

Rob Hayles
Former GB cyclist on Radio 5 live sports extra

Bardet is now on the back, so they are within the peloton. So, panic over and they’ve got to relax and get their second wind. Just because they’re in the peloton doesn’t mean they want to sit there.

British national champion Steve Cummings in his usual place at the back of the peloton (apart from when he's going for breakaway victories!) and he has a good view of Romain Bardet latching back on.

There is still work to be done though by the AG2R squad. The pace is high in the peloton and they have to drag Bardet back up to the front.

Image source, AFP

Romain Bardet is in a spot of bother. The AG2R rider is around 30 seconds off the back of the peloton and he has team-mates dropping back to help him.

I'm not sure what happened to him but this is not good with the pace increasing in the peloton.

Bardet is the big home hope. He finished second to Froome last year.

"He's not panicking," says Rob Hayles on commentary. "I would imagine it was something like a puncture."

And we all know when the last French winner of the Tour was...

James Cooper on Twitter asks: "Lilian Calmejane?!? Are you just making up names now?"

Rider 173, for Direct Energie. A Frenchman, 24, who won stage four of the 2016 Vuelta a Espana. I'm struggling to tell you any more.