The race has left the island of Noirmoutier and is firmly onto the mainland. This year's route is almost entirely in France, with only a 15km dip into Spain when the race hits the Pyrenees.

Meanwhile, the peloton keep the gap to the three-man break of Cousin, Ledanois and Offredo at just under four minutes.

Froome has never attempted the Giro-Tour double before though and that combination has caught out plenty of riders in the past who end up falling away in the latter stages in France.

The Briton looked cooked at the Giro, mind, before storming back on that remarkable solo victory on stage 19 to seize the maglia rosa and duly complete his Grand Tour hat-trick.

Will he pay for that effort here? Could this year be an opportunity for his rivals to end, or at least, interrupt Froome's dominance?

The three-man breakaway of Jerome Cousin, Kevin Ledanois and Yoann Offredo have a lead of three minutes 58 seconds after just under 20km of racing.

Cousin has had a good year so far, winning a stage at the prestigious one-week stage race Paris-Nice.

There's no other place to start than the favourite - can Chris Froome win a record-equalling Tour de France title?

Four other men have done it before - Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgium's Eddy Merckx and Spain's Miguel Indurain, who is the only man to win five in a row.

Of course, it's a record with a big asterisk, given Lance Armstrong won seven Tour titles in a row between 1999 and 2005 before he was stripped of them all for extensive doping offences.

I digress. Froome is also trying to win his fourth Grand Tour in a row, having won last year's Tour, the Vuelta a Espana and the Giro d'Italia - and match the record of Merckx, who seized four on the trot in 1972-73.

Image source, EPA

Cousin, Ledanois and Offredo have established a lead of almost three minutes already, with the peloton happy to have an easy start to this manic race.

I'll keep you updated with how this stage is unfolding, but while we're waiting for the action to ramp up, let's have a look at the favourites for the race...

Gareth Rhys Owen
Presenter & commentator, BBC Wales Sport

Ever wondered what the Tour de France media room looks like? Not many journalists knocking about this morning - most are outside enjoying the beautiful Vendee weather.

Image source, BBC Sport

So the three riders in the breakaway are Jerome Cousin (Direct Energie), Yoann Offredo (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Kevin Ledanois (Team Fortuneo-Samsic).

All three are, fittingly, French but none of them have won a Tour de France stage before.

They wouldn't stand a chance in a bunch sprint so have broken clear, hoping the peloton mess up the chase behind, allowing them to contest the stage win. It's very unlikely they'll make it all the way, but it's still a better chance than if they tried in the sprint.

Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme pops out of the lead car and waves the flag to signal the start of the race.

Straightway, riders from three of the smallest teams in the race - Direct Energie, Wanty-Groupe Gobert and Fortuneo-Samsic - shoot off the front.

The peloton are happy to let them go, knowing they will reel them back later, barring a remarkable turn of events.

The peloton are approaching 1km to go until the hammer comes down.

Who will zip off early to try and get in the first breakaway of the Tour?

Thomas de Gendt is riding this year...

The riders are lined up on the start line in Noirmoutier-en-L'Ile, ready for the roll out.

And off they go! The peloton will cruise through a neutralised section for around 10 minutes before the flag drops and the racing begins.

The 2018 Tour de France is under way...

Mark Cavendish
Winner of 30 Tour de France stages

It's going to be a bunch sprint with the winner taking the coveted yellow jersey. It's what the Tour de France organisers want. It's not often sprinters get the opportunity to go for the yellow jersey but it's one we all relish. Normally on the Atlantic Coast - this stage spends more than 100km by the sea - crosswinds can be a factor but the temperature looks great and the forecast looks fine so we might not get them.

That doesn't mean it's going to be an easy stage because everyone will be vying for position at the front. It will be a good test to see which teams are strong and we'll be going for the win.

My Dimension Data team will be looking to control the riders who get in the break, although we have to look out for the time bonus sprint only 15km from the finish. That can upset teams trying to set up their lead-out trains. There is a right-hander with just over one kilometre to go but then a nice straight run to the finish.

It will be an honour to go for the yellow jersey again, having won it on stage one in 2016.

The race kicks off from Noirmoutier-en-L'Ile in the Vendee region, with stage one running 201km to an expected bunch sprint finish in Fontenay-le-Comte.

Can Mark Cavendish take the win and put himself in the yellow jersey?

Handily, he's written our stage-by-stage guide for this year's race. And he's picked himself as the one to watch today...

Image source, Tour de France

Who's ready for another three-week thrash around France?

Even by the Tour's standards, the build-up to the 2018 has been particularly fraught.

Four-time winner Chris Froome was under investigation, his case dragging on all the way towards the eve of the Tour, not welcome to defend his title by organisers ASO, who reportedly sought to prevent him from riding.

And then on Monday, the UCI finally reached a verdict and dropped the case. Froome was welcome again. Though not by all - the Team Sky rider was jeered at the presentation in among some shows of support.

But away from the politics, scandal and suspicion, the Tour remains a beautiful, mad and thrilling event.

Welcome to our live coverage of the 2018 Tour de France...