Hang on a minute though, maybe the sprinters haven't given up this one yet...

Team BikeExchange-Jayco have taken up the pace at the front of the peloton and are starting to motor again. They want to deliver Dylan Groenewegen to the front of the race, but they might have to do this on their own...

Who are those seven riders? Well there's a Brit among them, Fred Wright of Bahrain Victorious. Can he do what Tom Pidcock did yesterday, and clinch a maiden Tour win? We are about to find out...

Also in the break are Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), Stefan Kung (FDJ), Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Mads Pedersen and Quinn Simmons (both Trek-Segafredo) and Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech).

They are three minutes and 40 seconds clear - the peloton have clearly got no interest in bringing them back.

It was a mutual decision between Ineos Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma to ease up, and it is great news for the seven escapees - it appears one of them will win this stage now, rather than a sprinter.

Ineos Grenadiers have taken over at the front of the peloton. They have slowed the pace right down as they enter the feed zone, enough for Jakobsen to rejoin at the back. That means the gap to the break is getting bigger - two minutes and 45 seconds now.

Another sprinter, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl's Fabio Jakobsen, has fallen off the back of the peloton as they continue slogging upwards. That's one less sprint team to chase the break group, and the gap is growing.

Alpecin-Deceuninck are doing all the work at the front of the peloton, riding for their sprinter Jasper Philipsen.

The seven escapees are two minutes and 12 seconds clear, and the fewer teams interested in reeling them in, the better (from their point of view).

Caleb Ewan has given up the chase... he won't be in the mix at the finish line.

We've lost another rider today, as France's Victor Lafay has just called it quits. The Cofidis rider has been sick since the early stages of this year's race.

We're about to hit the final climb of the day, the category two Cote de Saint Romain en Gal.

It's a 6.6km climb at a 4.5% gradient, so nowhere near as fearsome as the mountains the race went over in the Alps, but if anyone is tired or injured - like Caleb Ewan for instance - going uphill again is far from ideal.

All of Caleb Ewan's Lotto-Soudal team-mates have gone back to try to haul him back to the front of the peloton... at the moment he is about 40 seconds off the back.

The breakaway bunch are now a fraction over two minutes clear, so the gap is coming down.

A reminder who those seven riders are: Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), Stefan Kung (FDJ), Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), Mads Pedersen and Quinn Simmons (both Trek-Segafredo) and Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech).

They are riding strongly, and working together... but will it be enough?

It's still very hot out there... but the Lotto-Soudal team are feeling the heat more than most thanks to their efforts to bring Caleb Ewan back into the bunch so he can (potentially) contest a sprint finish to this stage.

Lotto-Soudal rider Brent Van Moer is trying to cool down...

Image source, EPA

Caleb Ewan has just been told off for drafting behind Alpecin-Deceuninck's team car - they are his rivals but they need him back in this race to help with the chase. Don't worry though, because Ewan's Lotto-Soudal team-mates have dropped back to help him (legally!) catch up.

The gap from the front seven to the peloton is around two minutes and 12 seconds.

Ewan is about a minute behind the front of the peloton as things stand... the chase is on!

It looks like Caleb Ewan has hurt his left knee. He's still pedalling hard, but does not look too happy.

Terrible news for him, but a boost for the breakaway bunch. Their lead has gone up slightly, to about two minutes and 20 seconds.

Lotto-Soudal have been hammering away at the front of the peloton today, with the aim of delivering Caleb Ewan to the front of the race at the finish for the bunch sprint.

That plan has gone out of the window for now, though. He took a nasty tumble, along with a couple of his team-mates, as the peloton came round a tight corner... and hit the deck, pretty hard.

The Australian is back on his bike, but it's not clear how badly he was hurt. He's trying to get back to the bunch.

Some more splits in the peloton, thanks to a fast pace being set at the front by Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lotto-Soudal, and those pesky crosswinds.

No time to relax if you are on the road - everyone is jostling for position and making sure the gaps don't get too big.

Image source, Reuters

Here's the top of the standings in the points category after Wout van Aert picked up another eight points in that intermediate sprint, to extend his already commanding lead:

1. Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) 321 points

2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE) 159

3. Fabio Jackobsen (Quick-Step) 155 points.

The breakaway bunch have gone through the intermediate sprint, about one minute and 20 seconds clear.

When the peloton arrives, here comes Wout van Aert ... being led out for the eight green jersey points available for the eighth man over the line. He takes them too, to cement his convincing lead in that category.

TV pictures have just shown that Fabio Jakobsen has rejoined the peloton, thanks to his Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team-mate Matteo Cattaneo, who went back to help him get back in touch.