Team Sky continue to work, trying to get Chris Froome safely through to 3km to go, where riders will not lose any time for crashes or mechanicals.

Quick-Step take it up as the peloton cruise through that 3km mark. Fernando Gaviria is looking to make it two from two.

Still Bora on the front but Lotto Soudal are there now too for Andre Greipel.

Yellow jersey Fernando Gaviria still up there too. No sign of Mark Cavendish for now.

All very frantic at the front but Bora has regained some control, trying to set this up for Peter Sagan.

Adam Yates' team-mate Luke Durbridge falls. Somehow every other rider avoids him and the Australian picks himself and scoots off the road, just about avoiding a rider who was forced onto the grass. Eek.

FDJ now take it up at the front on the right as Team Sky continue on the left. Bora surge up the middle for Peter Sagan.

Marcel Kittel is 40 seconds down and eases up, realising he has no chance of getting back in time.

German sprinter Marcel Kittel has a rear wheel puncture and has to change his bike.

That should be him out of contention for the stage win.

He's back riding quickly but will have to bury himself just to rejoin the main bunch.

The pace is up to 68km/h now as the peloton bear down on La Roche-sur-Yon.

Peter Sagan bunny hops across a roundabout to keep up near the front.

Team Sky are on the front, laying down a fearsome pace and keeping Chris Froome safe.

With the race all together, there are plenty of teams spread across a wide road, all jostling for position.

The GC riders' teams are up there, trying to avoid the crashes that cost several of them time yesterday.

They are having to compete for space with the sprinters' teams. Yellow jersey Fernando Gaviria continues to mark world champion Peter Sagan.

Rob Hayles
Ex-GB cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live, in France

It could be very sketchy. It's that uphill run to the finish and as Mark Cavendish alluded to in his stage-by-stage guide, timing your sprint will be critical.

And here is how the final 2km of stage two pans out.

It's going to be a tricky finish - you can hear Tom Fordyce and Rob Hayles call it by clicking the tab at the top of this page.

Sure enough, Sylvain Chavanel was swallowed up shortly after crossing the line, ending a superb solo ride of about 140km.

He was in an early break with Dion Smith and Michael Gogl, who both sat up after the early climb, but the 39-year-old Frenchman, riding a record 18th Tour, carried on admirably.

He was never going to hold off the peloton though and now it's all about the final sprint.

Image source, Reuters

Sylvain Chavanel nabs the three bonus seconds on offer at the bonus sprint point.

Philippe Gilbert nips off the front to take two seconds and Geraint Thomas positions himself on the front of the bunch to take one second.

That sneaks Thomas in front of the likes of Bardet, Uran, Landa, Dumoulin and Nibali on GC for the moment.

Chavanel gets out of the saddle to kick on a slight uphill drag.

The peloton is streaming up behind him but he should stay clear to the bonus sprint line.

Chavanel has just one kilometre to ride until that bonus time sprint point.

His lead is down to 21 seconds.

Team Sky are now surging up the right-hand side, sheltering Chris Froome.

The defending champion wants to avoid the late spill he suffered yesterday - and could he also be trying to nab back some time on the bonus time sprint that's coming up.

There are three, two and one seconds available for the first three riders over the line - a new addition this year that applies on the first nine stages.

Team Sunweb come to the front on the left, protecting Tom Dumoulin.

Sylvain Chavanel looks over his shoulder and can now see the peloton behind him on a long, straight road.

A brief grimace and the French veteran digs again.

Just 30 seconds for Sylvain Chavanel now. The peloton, led by BMC and Dimension Data, will make the catch shortly.

Arnaud Demare is almost back to the peloton.

Sylvain Chavanel's lead is down to 45 seconds or so.

All set up for a frantic final 20km leading to the sprint.

Not only have 10,000+ cyclists been taking on Velothon Wales today (see 12:48 entry), 12,993 amateur cyclists have been taking on L'Étape du Tour - a stage of the Tour.

Each year there is a race for the likes of you and I. This year's was a 169km course featuring four climbs with an elevation gain of 4,000m, replicating stage 10 from Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand.

The Tour riders tackle that stage on Tuesday, 17 July.

Sylvain Chavanel has been out solo for around 130km now and the effort is starting to tell.

The 39-year-old digs deep and puts in another surge but his advantage is now down to under one minute.