The leading quartet of Anthony Perez, Dimitri Claeys, Guillaume van Keirsbulck and Jerome Cousin swing through the 20km to go mark.

They have an advantage of just over two minutes on the chasing peloton.

The peloton take back 25 seconds in 4km.

Quick-Step are driving the bunch on, trying to set up Fernando Gaviria for a second stage win.

The chase is on now with the break keeping their advantage out around two and a half minutes with 25km to go.

The peloton should be able to bring this back but they can't take anything for granted now.

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Perez, Claeys, Van Keirsbulck and Cousin are keeping their lead at 2'50'' over the peloton.

Tony Gallopin - fresh from being hit by the door of his own team car - makes it back on.

LottoNL-Jumbo's Robert Gesink finally does the same after being caught up in that earlier spill.

The pace is increasing in the peloton - Lawson Craddock, who is riding with a broken scapula, is shot off the back, another run-in to survive.

Dimitri Claeys rolls over the lines first to take three bonus seconds followed by Guillaume van Keirsbulck and Anthony Perez.

The four-man leading group are making use of a section of twisting roads to extend their advantage out to 2'45'' as they hit the 40km to go mark.

They'll soon hit the bonus time sprint point - there are three bonus seconds available for the first over the line, second for second and one for third.

It's a new addition to this year's Tour, only for the first nine stages.

Doesn't like this quartet are bothered by it though...

Geraint Thomas, Tom Dumoulin and Rigoberto Uran are the main GC contenders in the current top 10 - here are where the others currently rank, hoping to avoid any unnecessary time losses today....

13. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +51secs

14. Richie Porte (Aus/BMC) same time

16. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +53secs

17. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) same time

18. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +55secs

20. Adam Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) +1min

22. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Bahrain-Merida) +1min 6secs

25. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +1min 15secs

27. Primoz Roglic (Slo/LottoNL-Jumbo) same time

59. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) +2mins 8secs

AG2R's Tony Gallopin - a key team-mate of Romain Bardet - pulls over with a mechanical issue.

His team car pulls up and his mechanic opens the door onto Gallopin's hip!

Galloping shrugs it off - for now - gets a new wheel and sets off in pursuit of the peloton. I suspect he might bring it up later this evening.

The peloton have slowed up and allowed those involved in that crash to get back on.

The result is the break's advantage has gone back up to 2'22'' with 45km remaining.

They'll be coming past you in about 15km, Tim.

Mikel Landa was also caught out but is already rejoining the back of the bunch, with two Movistar team-mates around him.

A touch of wheels as the road narrows and several riders are slung into a ditch.

Thankfully most riders appear to have landed on grass and there doesn't look to be any serious injuries.

Astana leader Jakob Fuglsang is caught out and needs a new wheel but is on his way soon enough.

I don't think Brailsford and Lappartient have ever actually met in person. Could be interesting if they run into each other at the finish - as mayor of Sarzeau, Lappartient will be involved in the presentation ceremony.

Anyway, back on the road the leading four-man break of Anthony Perez, Dimitri Claeys, Guillaume van Keirbulck and Jerome Cousin have an advantage of around 1'30'' on the chasing peloton.

An update to my entry at 15:11 - UCI president David Lappartient has hit back at Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford for accusing him of having a "local French mayor mentality."

Speaking to Le Parisien, Lappartient said: ""I do not really want to answer him, but I will say that the last one who called me a 'Breton mayor' was not brought any luck. It was Brian Cookson [the former UCI president who Lappartient beat in September's election].

"And then, by insulting me as mayor, he insults the 35,000 French mayors and the French in general. I do not know what he's looking for with that.

"Because he does not realise that it takes mayors taking stages of the Tour de France for such great events to take place. He does not understand much about cycling. When you are arrogant, one day or another, there is always something that brings you back to humility."

Image source, Getty Images

Again, not much competition among the breakaway as Cofidis rider Anthony Perez rolls over the line at the summit first to collect the sole king of the mountains point available.

The gap is coming down to around one minutes 30 seconds as the leading four riders are on to the sole climb of the day - the Cote de Saint-Jean-la-Poterie.

Marcel Kittel is another of the main contenders for today's stage victory.

The 30-year-old won five stages of last year's Tour with former team Quick-Step Floors but has been out of sorts this season riding for Katusha-Alpecin.

However, a long, wide, fast finish in Sarzeau could well suit the big German sprinter.

Image source, Getty Images

Here is the confirmed top 10 at the intermediate sprint today. Fernando Gaviria cuts Peter Sagan's lead in the green jersey points classification to 24 points. Can the Colombian make a further dent by winning the stage?

1. Guillaume van Keirsbulck - 20 points
2. Dimitri Claeys - 17
3. Anthony Perez - 15
4. Jerome Cousin - 13
5. Fernando Gaviria - 11
6. André Greipel - 10
7. Peter Sagan - 9
8. John Degenkolb - 8
9. Alexander Kristoff - 7
10. Marcel Kittel - 6