That marking effort by Cousin has allowed the leading trio to establish a gap.

They are Sylvain Chavanel (Fra/Direct-Energie), Dion Smith (NZ/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Michael Gogl (Aut/Trek-Segafredo).

And their lead is up to 47 seconds

Kevin Ledanois zips off the front of the peloton, trying to get across to the break and protect his polka dot jersey.

But Jerome Cousin, his breakaway partner from yesterday, chases him down to prevent him getting over to team-mate Chavanel up the road.

Direct Energie's Sylvain Chavanel is riding a record 18th Tour de France this year.

The 39-year-old Frenchman puts in a dig and brings a couple of riders with him. It looks like the peloton will let this trio go for now.

Education First's Lawson Craddock took a heavy fall yesterday, breaking his scapula and suffering cuts around his eyes.

Remarkably, the American made it to the start line today and has set off.

He's already on the back of the peloton and faces another tough day.

Kevin Ledanois took the king of the mountains polka dot jersey by being the first over the sole climb yesterday. And the Frenchman is trying to get up into the breakaway again to protect his jersey.

Direct Energie are animated early on, but being marked for now.

Race director Christian Prudhomme pops out the sun roof of car number one and waves the flag to signal the start of the stage two.

Straight away the attacks start, with plenty of riders from the smaller teams in the race trying to get up the road.

Yellow: Fernando Gaviria

Green: Marcel Kittel (Gaviria leads this category overall, Peter Sagan is second but has elected to wear his world champion rainbow jersey instead)

Polka dot: Kevin Ledanois

White: Dylan Groenewegen (Gaviria leads this category overall)

Gaviria' team Quick-Step Floors are also currently leading the team category and Yoann Offredo won yesterday's combativity prize for his part in starting the breakaway.

Image source, Getty Images

So if you're new to the Tour de France, here is a quick guide to the jerseys..

Yellow: Overall leader of the race on general classification - fastest time to complete the course

Green: Leader of the points classification - points are awarded according to finishing position at the end of stages and at intermediate sprints

Polka dot: King of the mountains - rider who has collected most points according to placings over the top of climbs

White: Best young rider - highest-placed rider under 26 years old on the general classification

If a rider is leading in two categories then the second-placed rider in that category will wear the jersey on the next stage, unless they are the world champion, speaking of which...

The riders have just started the neutralised roll out from Moulleron-Saint-Germain.

They'll cruise through just over 4km, with no attacking allowed, before the flag is waved and the racing proper can begin.

For now, Fernando Gaviria, resplendent in yellow, leads the peloton through the town.

Mark Cavendish is one of those guys who missed out on stage one and will be looking to make amends.

He was left without most of his Dimension Data team after they were caught behind a crash during the run in. As a result he was out of position and unable to contest the sprint.

Can he win today? Well in his stage-by-stage guide for BBC Sport, he's gone for French sprinter Arnaud Demare.

"A sprinter who can grind a big gear up a slight rise is going to win," said Cavendish.

Demare is a two-time French national champion and won a stage on last year's Tour

Mark Cavendish
Winner of 30 Tour de France stages

We reconned stage two, which is basically a big circle around the Vendee region. It's quite open at times in the countryside but, as on stage one, the weather should be good so I don't know if crosswinds will play a factor.

Teams will be stressed again because it's just the second day and guys who missed out on stage one will be looking to make amends.

We have looked at the final - it's a tricky run-in after a big, long, straight road for about 15km. You come into a town and there are lots of lefts and rights and ups and downs. It's a fast narrow run-in and with a couple of kilometres to go there is a 100 degree corner at a roundabout and then the road shoots up at a 3% gradient for the last kilometre so it's not going to be an easy bunch sprint.

If you're too far back in the last corner you're going to find it hard to come back up. It's going to be lined out in the last kilometre and won't be a pure bunch sprint.

Stage two takes the race 182.5km from Mouilleron-Saint-Germain to La Roche-sur-Yon.

It looks like another day for the sprinters, with a relatively flat run in and the sole climb - the category four Cote de Pouzauges - coming very early in the stage.

Expect a breakaway of riders looking to pick up the single king of the mountains point on offer as the first man over the top.

The peloton should then be easily able to reel them in - if they indeed bother to keep away - but it won't be the easiest finale, according to Mark Cavendish...

Image source, Tour de France

The Tour de France can bite when you least expect it.

Just when it looked like stage one would be a relatively sedate affair, all heck broke loose.

First a crash in the middle of bunch split the peloton in two, then Chris Froome had to bail out on a grass bank to avoid the rider in front and a pole.

The defending champion ended up rolling in around a minute down on stage winner Fernando Gaviria, who avoided all the carnage to enjoy a dream debut, sprinting to a dominant win and into the yellow jersey.

What thrills and spills will today bring? Welcome to live coverage of stage two...