There are 89 riders in the leading group on the road, with the 90th rider nearly a minute down.

Fair play to those carrying on who are not in those 89, but no one would blame you for pulling over now.

Richard Gallagher: The crowd and the riders all gritting their teeth against the rain. It's wet but it's great.

A quick check of the flight radar suggests the relay plane has taken off again after refuelling at Doncaster Sheffield airport.

Fingers crossed it's on its way to restore live pictures.

Remco Evenepoel has also pulled over after his gutsy but ultimately fruitless attempt to pace Belgium team-mate Philippe Gilbert back to the bunch after a crash.

Tremendous teamwork by the 19-year-old, who many thought had a chance of victory here today himself.

I'm sure we'll see him in contention for the rainbow jersey before long though.

An Italian rider suffers a puncture at the worst possible time on the climb and needs a wheel change.

It looked like he was wearing a Team Ineos helmet and looked to be Salvatore Puccio rather than Gianni Moscon.

A fixed camera on Oak Beck climb gives us a brief spell of live pictures.

France still setting the pace on the front. Italy are up there too.

Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet and three-time world champion Peter Sagan sheltered in a good position.

Britain's Adam Yates is at the back of the first group on the road.

Philippe Gilbert looks absolutely crestfallen as he wipes his face with a towel after abandoning.

This was perhaps the last chance for another world title for the 37-year-old, with next year's course in Switzerland looking like one for the climbers.

Paul Beard: Bars round the corner from the finish doing a roaring trade...still chucking it down outside.

And former world champion Philippe Gilbert duly pulls off after passing the line.

He never recovered from that hefty crash and could not make it back to the bunch.

No second world title for Gilbert then but he can be content with a fantastic season, including a maiden Paris-Roubaix victory.

Geraint Thomas remains in the front group of the road.

Ben Swift and Adam Yates, however, are 41 seconds off the back.

Philippe Gilbert did not make it back despite the fine efforts of Remco Evenepoel to pace him.

He is riding off the back of the peloton with Nairo Quitana.

They roll over the line 1:50 down.

Italy's Matteo Trentin, a shout for victory today and a rider who loves the rain, is right up near the front.

Most of the favourites are sheltered in the top 20 to 30 on the road.

France now hit the front of the peloton and are really stringing it out on this technical part of the circuit.

Still over two hours of racing left to go but a blistering pace being set.

There are some fixed cameras that we are getting occasional shots from.

Belgium are on the front of the peloton now, with Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet second in line.

Is that a sign that Philippe Gilbert made it back on? Or that he's given up the chase?

There is a shot of Remco Evenepoel off the back, having done an immense turn in pacing Gilbert after his crash.

Even the Belgian cycling team aren't completely sure...

Without live pictures of the race, we are at least getting images from behind the scenes to see who has quit.

Ireland's Dan Martin, who animated the race with an attack early on, is done for the day.

Remarkable scenes.

Vuelta champion Primoz Roglic and Giro champion Richard Carapaz have both quit after their ride in the day's breakaway.

A supreme effort by both to honour the world champs after long seasons.

If you don't know Remco Evenepoel, he may well be your new favourite rider soon.

The 19-year-old Belgian won the world junior road race and time trial titles last year and immediately moved up to WorldTour level.

Instead of easing himself in, this year he has won the European time trial title, Clasica de San Sebastian and took silver in the world time trial this week.

It appears he is just working for Philippe Gilbert here but could be a force himself if up there in the finale.

Belgium's Remco Evenepoel is doing a fearsome turn on the front of a chasing group, pacing team-mate Philippe Gilbert back to the peloton.

They are 38 seconds down coming through the finish line.

Britain's Ian Stannard is in that group as well.

Worse news for Britain is that Ben Swift and Adam Yates are about 30 seconds further back.

Live pictures again! For a short while at least.

The break has indeed been caught after 150km of racing.

The France team lead the peloton over the line to start lap two of nine of the finishing circuit in Harrogate.