I love the way the day's one intermediate sprint comes after two of the three hors categorie climbs.

The big men will just be thundering towards the line by then.

Image source, Tour de France

We have out first Sunday morning shout out - 37.5km....

Any rises?*

*photo required

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Hhhmmmm...........

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We're though 50km.

Every km covered is a km closer to the finish, sadly for the riders it is also a km closer to the next climb. Not far off the bottom slopes of the Col de la Biche - 10.5km at 9%.

Do you know what that is in English? Pushing.

Or should it be #notjealousatall

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Four riders - AG2R's Axel Domont (AG2R), UAE's Vegard Stake Laengen, Direct Energie's Thomas Voeckler and Fortuneo's Brice Feillu - have caught back up with the main group.

There are 39 of them - none from Sky - with a lead of 3.30.

Movistar's Carlos Betancur is currently the virtual yellow jersey wearer.

Joe Hebblewhite: It's all about planning! Ride in the morning, get back & watch the tour. Sofa, tea & thinking how do they keep that pace!

How far did you go Joe? Any HC action or a quick blast down some country lanes?

If you wondered just how much of a torturous day this is going to be for Arnaud Demare, his speed over the first 11km provides a few clues.

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Category three Cote de Franclens? Done and dusted.

Two KOM points for Thomas De Gendt and one for Alexey Lutsenko.

140km to go and heading into HC (super category) country. Who is durable for the Jura?

The main group now leads by three minutes. Everyone is on dry roads at the moment.

Feels a little like a phony war right now. Tension, fear, expectation, that absolute need to keep some power in the legs.

"There will be a big shake-up in the GC today." - Geraint Thomas before the start of today's stage.

Anyone out there been down the Mont du Chat? Fun at 50km? Or just pure, pure fear?

Matt Taggart: The best wife ever is reading out the feed to me (and tweeting) while we're stuck on the M25. Keep the updates coming!

We're coming up to the bottom of the category three Cote de Franclens. That's 2.4km at 6%.

After that, there's a bit of a downhill before the first of today's three HC climbs. That starts with the Col de la Biche - 10.5km at 9%. (Winces from behind sofa).

All the chat seems to be about the Mont du Chat (sorry!) - but there's a lot of up and down before that one.

Image source, Reuters

Expecting to see this looking very different tonight? Or just moderately so?

General classification after stage eight:

1. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 33hrs 19mins 10secs

2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +12secs

3. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana) +14secs

4. Daniel Martin (Ire/Quick-Step) +25secs

5. Richie Porte (Aus/BMC Racing) +39secs

6. Simon Yates (GB/Orica) +43secs

7. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R) +47secs

8. Alberto Contador (Spa/Trek) +52secs

9. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) +54secs

10. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora) +1min 01secs

A couple more riders have gone down - Argentine Eduardo Sepulveda and Norway's Stake Laengen.

There were both in the big breakaway group, which now has a lead over the peloton of about two and a half minutes. A few riders - including Thomas Voeckler - are trying to keep up with the pace at the front.

Image source, Reuters

I want to hear from you right through the afternoon. Sunday is always a great day for a bike ride, but if there was ever a day to watch some cycling instead (perhaps rigging up the roller?) then this surely has to be it.

John McEnerney: a day for the big dogs to make a statement. Attack after attack after attack. Quintana to make a move today Alberto C too!

Meme Rugby League: Michael Matthews to mop up green jersey points and Pierre Rolland to win today. GC attacks on le Chat before a rest day.

At the end of every day's racing the 5 live team in France have put together an excellent podcast, musing on the day's action and looking forward to the next stage.

At the end of yesterday's Roy Hayles raised the prospect of rain today - and wondered what sort of impact that might have.

There is indeed a risk of storms today. Doesn't really bear thinking about.

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Nobody from Sky in the group of 38 by the way. They are all at the front of the peloton.

The group's lead is now one minute, 48 seconds.

So, 165km to go, including five climbs. The next comes at the 38km mark.

Approximately 40 riders are about 90 seconds clear of the main group.

Arnaud Demare is with his mates out the back. #longday

Of course, what happens over the next few hours might be shaped in part by the events of yesterday, when the Tour entered the Jura and got every so slightly bumpy.

Frenchman Lilian Calmejane held off a late attack of cramp to preserve his slight advantage over Robert Gesink and claim his maiden Tour stage in Station des rousses.

It was a day of constant attacks from the off, tough, fast racing.

Afterwards Chris Froome said he "was not expecting the stage to be quite as intense".

Geraint Thomas, in his own unique style, said there had not even been time to take a leak.

Will some pay the price today?