A lovely television shot of a fan in a blue polo t-shirt scrabbling in the dust for red Cofidis bidon casually tossed in his direction. A yellow and black one follows and he snaffles that one two, from right under the nose of a lady of similar age.

She looks a little disgruntled by that.

The bloke makes to head off with his treasure, analysing both bottles, before casting a look back and offering up the Cofidis water bottle.

Could that be the start of something special?

The Bora-Hansgrohe team has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, external over the decision to disqualify Peter Sagan from the race.

Nothing too sinister there.

The statement argues that under UCI rules, Sagan should have been allowed to state his case, something Bora claim did not happen.

Again, nothing wrong with that.

It's this next bit:

If the motion to suspend, on which the CAS will have to decide now, is granted, Peter Sagan will immediately re-engage in the Tour and, together with the team BORA – hansgrohe, compete for a successful Tour de France 2017.

How would that happen? I've never heard anything like that happening before. He's missed two stages already and, with all due respect to Cas, they don't appear to work particularly quickly.

Laurent Pichon's bid is over. Rob Hayles suggests he should get round a corner, dive into the nearest haystack and then rejoin at the back of the peloton to avoid the ribbing he is about to get.

Meanwhile, bizarre news from the Bora-Hansgrohe team of Peter Sagan...

There has been no official intermediate sprint result come through yet. But Arnaud Demare will have increased his lead over Marcel Kittel in second to 47 points, by my reckoning.

Simon Brotherton is also doing the maths and says Demare can afford to finish 13th and keep hold of green. And he will also do so if Kittel doesn't win in Troyes.

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Perrig Quemeneur picks up his second point of the day. I'm not sure what Laurent Pichon is up to. Has he had a flea in his ear from his sporting director, a tad angry that the team missed the initial break?

This is futile though. He is exactly halfway between the leaders and the peloton. About as much in no-man's land as it's possible to be.

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Simon and Rob are discussing who should drive the car later because they are going to be staying in the Champagne region.

Look boys, if you really need some help, you only have to say...a game of rock, paper, scissors ensues. After a series of draws, Rob agrees to drive.

Meanwhile, Laurent Pichon of Fortuneo has gone shooting off the front of the peloton. He's trying to catch the three out front, who are on the second and final category four climb of the day.

The Cote de la colline Sainte-Germaine is the snappily-named hill.

I know you're all enjoying these. I've shamelessly nicked this of Le Tour website...

Chris Froome is spending his 45th day in the yellow jersey.

Five-time winner Jacques Anqutil is in his sights. The Frenchman spent 50 days (and 52 stages because of half-stages) in yellow between 1957 and 1964.

Two more five-time champions are also ahead of him. Spain's Miguel Indurain had 60 days in yellow and could possibly be caught next year, if things go to plan.

I'm not sure he'll ever catch Eddy Merckx though. The Belgian legend spent 111 days in the maillot jaune.

Is the Italian national champion the Phil Cool of the peloton? If you weren't around in the 1980s, ask a grown up.

The leading trio are still two minutes up the road. The pace is not yet on in the peloton. There is a little category four climb coming up. Once that is out of the way, the fireworks will begin.

Simon Brotherton has been regaling us on the radio with Tour de France tale from 1960 when the race went through Colombey.

Charles de Gaulle was the French president and he was stood on the side of the road to watch the Tour roll through.

The race stopped and the general shook the hands of race director Jacques Goddet and yellow jersey holder Gastone Nencini.

Apparently Pierre Beuffeuil, who had been dropped, took the opportunity of the halt to return to the peloton and break on his own to win the stage in Troyes.

Simon doubts that actually happened but it is one of many stories that litter the folklore of this wonderful race.

Sonny Colbrelli looks like he's going to win the race for fourth, but he got it horribly wrong, having being led out far too early.

And here comes the green man - Arnaud Demare. And the Frenchman wins the race from the bunch.

Michael Matthews and Ben Swift were also trying hard. Nacer Bouhanni was nowhere though, perhaps the Frenchman keeping his powder dry for the bigger sprint coming up in 80km

Frederick Backaert of Belgium is first over the line to pick up 20 points. He properly went for that. He'll probably get a few euros for the team.

The real business is back in the peloton though...

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Rob Hayles is saying it's so hot out there today that the race officials could invoke the extreme weather rule. It works generally for early season races when snow and cold are more of a factor.

It works in the same way in the heat although he jokes, "at worst, they'll probably pull all the riders over with 50km to go and give them all an ice cream".

Simon Brotherton adds that the race's water sponsor has a van haring up and down the finishing straight, spraying the assembled masses with a fine mist to keep them cool.

The riders are racing past 'Le Memorial Charles de Gaulle' and it's fair to say they won't miss it. It is huge. A massive cross in a largely flat part of France.

They will be going past the former French president's grave shortly in Colombey-les-Dieux-Eglises, the scene of the intermediate sprint.

It's sunnypublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

14:35 BST 6 July 2017

According to Rob Hayles on commentary, it's 37C in and around Troyes today. Scorchio.

Fabio Aru, yesterday's stage winner (and winner of the 2015 Vuelta a Espana, from where this picture originates), and Joaquim Rodriguez are clearly big fans of Going for Gold...and British animation.

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