Stage 12: Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux - Nimes, 159.4km
Germany's Nils Politt wins
Tadej Pogacar leads race overall
#bbccycling
Peter: Favourite cycle route has to be Chapman's Peak Drive just south of Cape Town - a rugged mountain pass with the sea just down below.
Could just do with a picture of that...oh wait a second. Thanks Michael.
Image source, @rixy16Nice message from Belgian team Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert.
There are 450 support staff including soigneurs, drivers, mechanics et al across the 23 teams taking part.
And of course a thousands of others responsible for safety along the route.
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Image source, Getty ImagesThe race for the polka-dot jersey is unlikely see any changes today, with just the one categorised climb on the menu and the points likely to be swept up by the break.
Here are how things look in the King of the Mountains comp:
1. Nairo Quintana, 50 points
2. Wout van Aert, 43 points
3. Michael Woods, 42 points
4. Wout Poels, 39 points
5. Bauke Mollema, 36 points
With each wheel revolution the chances of a bunch sprint at the finish are receding.
The break is out at well over nine minutes.
#bbccycling
Image source, Getty ImagesLots of glorious sights are being picked up by the television crews at the moment as the peloton trundles along at a pace where they can probably soak it all up.
Must be great watching all the crowds line the road to cheer you past.
But what are your favourite cycling routes and why? Feel free to drop in a picture or two as well.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesSome lovely scenery out on the road today. When is there not to be honest?
This race has absolutely everything.
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Mark Cavendish pulled up a few moments back up.
Nowt to worry about though. It's just an adjustment of his shoes. Very much looks like this could be a day for the breakaway, who have over eight minutes.
Cavendish's green jersey is accompanied by standard team shorts rather than his full skinsuit, which suggests a sprint won't be on the cards for him later.
Image source, Getty ImagesNow if you were to look back in time on this day, you'd see that it has treated Mark Cavendish very kindly in the past.
In 2008, he outsprinted his rivals to the finish line in Chateauroux to win stage five of the Tour de France.
And in 2010, Cavendish won his second successive stage of the Tour de France with victory on stage six in Gueugnon.
Will today see him bring up the hat-trick and a equal Eddy Merckx's stage win record?
Much will depend on if the peloton regain the appetite to reel in the break.
Image source, ASOThe break have pushed out their advantage to over six minutes.
Further down the road the peloton are sat up with riders from various teams having a good natter. What time's afternoon tea in for chaps?
General classification after stage 11:
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 43hrs 44mins 38secs
2. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education Nippo) + 5mins 18secs
3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo Visma) +5mins 32secs
4. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/Ineos Grenadiers) +5mins 33secs
5. Ben O'Connor (Aus/AG2R Citroen) +5mins 58secs
6. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe) +6mins 16secs
7. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana) +6mins 30secs
8. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +7mins 11secs
9. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +9mins 29secs
10. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +10mins 28secs
One of France's big hopes David Gaudu endured a difficult day in the saddle on Wednesday.
Before stage 11 Gaudu was sitting 10th in the GC standings, seven minutes behind leader Tadej Pogacar but just a couple of minutes off a podium place.
The Groupama FDJ rider is now 15th around 25 minutes adrift of the third-placed rider Jonas Vingegaard.
But is it any wonder? The team's sports director Yvon Madiot has said Gaudu was suffering with heatstroke well before the double ascent of Mont Ventoux and reading below, he did well to just finish the stage.
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Julian Alaphilippe just drops off the back of the lead group.
After his efforts pulling on the front of Deceunick-Quick-Step's sprint train on Tuesday and then in the break yesterday, you'd think he'd be taking it easy.
Not a bit of it. He has a natter with his team car, grabs a drink and his shades and cracks on.
As it stands the break have stretched out their advantage to a shade over three minutes.
Looks like the peloton is starting to regroup.
That'll be a huge relief to many a rider still feeling the effects of that leg-sapping double trek up Mont Ventoux yesterday.
Image source, Getty ImagesPeter Sagan has not started stage 12.
The Slovakian, spoke to the media prior to the start to say he is withdrawing from the race due to a knee injury.
Sagan, was of course involved in a heavy crash with Caleb Ewan on stage three, which saw the Australian abandon.
The Bora-Hansgrohe rider, has won the green jersey competition a record seven times but this is the first time he's had to call it quits before the race has reached Paris.
He does so having not spent any time at all in green for the first time.
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There are a strong group of 13 riders at the front of the race.
Julian Alaphilippe is in there among the likes of Connor Swift, Harry Sweeny, Brent Van Moer and Stefan Kung.
There'll be no pulling from the French rider today mind as he works for sprint finish. He gives German sprinter Andre Greipel, a tap on the shoulder and tells him to push on.
This is manic. Everyone is pretty much going full gas at present.
Image source, Getty ImagesLuke Rowe had a long and lonely ride to the finish of stage 11 where he missed the time cut for the first time in his career.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider fell behind early in the day on arguably the toughest stage of this year's race, which was won by Wout van Aert.
And he says he's "gutted" to now be out of the race.
"The lights went out... like someone flicked the switch," said Rowe before heading for the airport.
"It's a brutal sport and that's the reality of it sometimes.
"It was like someone flicked the switch and guys who I would normally outclimb relatively easy were leaving me for dead, so it was over 100k to go and I was on my own."
Just picking up on that last post..
It's been a fast and furious start with several echelons already forming.
Geraint Thomas is in one of the dropped groups of riders with Richie Porte in the next bunch on the road.
Not a great start for Ineos Grenadiers and compounded by losing Luke Rowe on Wednesday.