Marianne Vos will have the chance to take maximum points in the second intermediate sprint when we reach the final 27km.

Around 40km of riding left today and we have French rider Pauline Allin out in front on her own, 31 seconds clear.

As we saw before, though, that's well within reach for Jumbo Visma when they decide to get going.

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Jumbo Visma have enjoyed a brilliant men's race, with Jonas Vingegaard set to take the yellow jersey into Paris later today.

With almost 300 victories to her name on the road, there's every chance Marianne Vos can add to their success during the women's race - though the general classification is unlikely to be part of her plans.

After a long absence with burn-out and injury, the 35-year-old's sprint on flat or short, steep climbs is as powerful as ever and the first six stages could all suit her.

Part of a group of riders which campaigned for the race which saw the launch of La Course - an event she won three times - for Vos to triumph again and possibly hold the yellow jersey for a few days would be fitting for her legacy.

Jumbo Visma played that perfectly.

Marianne Vos takes the maximum 25 points. Too good. First task complete!

Another Dutch rider, Lorena Wiebes, crosses the line second, ahead of Australian Alexandra Manly.

Wow, Jumbo Visma have shut down the move by Emily Newsom and Mischa Bredewold in no time at all as they look to position Marianne Vos for this first intermediate sprint.

The first battle is on!

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Annemiek van Vleuten picked out Marta Cavalli as one to watch when she was asked about who could pose a threat shortly before the first stage got under way:

"I'm excited. I prepared super hard for this one to be in my best possible shape and it is one of my goals for the season," she said.

"I am sure I recharged well, and I am ready to suffer again."

On today's stage, she said: "Not so much. It is beautiful for the girls who want to fight for the yellow jersey but for me it is about staying safe today.

"I was impressed by Marta Cavalli for sure. But she is not the only one. I would not underestimate any of the teams, everyone here is at full strength."

It's not all about the finish today.

There are two intermediate sprints offering 25 points for the winner, with points available down to the 15th rider on the line.

The first opportunity comes on the fifth lap - so not long to wait for that as the teams begin to move their riders into position.

Meanwhile, there's a category four climb to Charles de Gaulle-Etoile with a maximum of two mountain points to any rider chasing the first Polka-dot jersey.

Emily Newsom and Mischa Bredewold have managed to extend their advantage to the peloton to 34 seconds with 55km to go.

Morgane Coston has attacked in an attempt to join the leading pair but she remains around 15 seconds adrift of the front of the race.

Four laps down, eight to go!

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Italian rising star Marta Cavalli was the stand-out rider of the recent Giro.

The 24-year-old finished runner-up and was the only rider able to really push Annemiek van Vleuten in a breakthrough season, which has also seen her win hilly classics Amstel Gold Race and Fleche Wallonne.

One of her first memories of the Tour was seeing Chris Froome running on foot on Mount Ventoux - while watching Mark Cavendish sprint was one of the reasons she got into cycling.

"If we can wear the yellow jersey for just one day, that would be great," said Cavalli, who will be primarily supporting FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope team-mate Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig.

"But we also want to make a splash, to put on a show for the people and cycling."

Emily Newsom and Mischa Bredewold have the race lead - and a 10-second gap to the peloton. That's about as big a gap as anyone has managed off the front so far. The peloton is being driven on by the sprint teams, keen to ensure this results in a bunch finish for the yellow jersey.

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Movistar rider Annemiek Van Vleuten, who has won basically every major race over the past decade, has confirmed she will retire at the end of the 2023 season.

Among her multitude of Olympic and world titles and classics wins are three Giro d'Italia victories - up until now the most prestigious and toughest stage race on the women's calendar. She won July's 10-stage contest by almost two minutes.

And she is keen to add the Tour de France to her list.

The race's final two mountain stages in the Vosges will suit the 39-year-old climber to a tee. In an ominous warning to her rivals, she's been training in the Pyrenees and at altitude in Andorra this spring to prepare...

During the editions of La Course that finished on the Champs-Elysees, only Anna van der Breggen managed to prevent the sprinters winning after she launched an attack from a kilometre out in 2015.

Can anyone produce a similar daring escape today?

Nina Buijsman is joined by a group of seven riders, including Krista Doebel-Hickok who made that earlier attack.

The peloton don't want this to get away though and up the pace to try and shut it down.

Dutch rider Nina Buijsman is out solo on the front now, but with a lead of only around five seconds after 10km of racing.

Trek-Segafredo's Italian rider Elisa Longo Borghini, one of the contenders for the overall victory, has spoken to BBC Sport about the race route and where the title could be won and lost.

On stage one, Borghini said: "I think it will be a very nice start."

"It's going to be charming because the men finish and we will take over and start our race. All the media will be there and it's going to be a cool event.

"The expectation is a sprint finish. We've raced here three times but it's not all a flat circuit. The cobbles makes it very hard.

"All the teams that have a sprinter would like to keep the race tight and the peloton together. But it's going to be hard because there will be big attacks and in the end - it's going to be like a tough criterium."

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France's Amandine Fouquenet takes a crack at breaking free and she quickly opens up a gap on the peloton, but it's not long before she's hauled back to the group.

The riders hit kilometre zero and we are off!

We hit the start of the 82km first stage and straight away riders launch attacks.

We swing round Place Charles de Gaulle and the Arc de Triomphe for the first time, with Krista Doebel-Hickok among those pushing the pace as riders try to break clear.

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Manx rider Lizzie Holden, who competes for the British Le Col Wahoo team, told BBC Sport the inaugural Tour de France Femmes is a "huge moment" for women's cycling.

"When I was growing up in the Isle of Man, I used to rush home from school every day to watch Mark Cavendish in the Tour de France," she said.

"On Sunday, I will be riding in it myself. It's a huge moment, for me and my sport.

"The profile of women's cycling has grown so much in the past few years anyway, but the launch of the Tour de France Femmes is another massive step, in terms of exposure and everything about the size of the event.

"Now the women's Tour is finally here, you realise how many new people it will bring to our sport, and how it can inspire the next generation.

Read more here.

What a moment.

The 144 riders of the inaugural Tour de France Femmes are safely away and closing in on the start of the race as they continue to roll away from the Eiffel Tower.

Away we go!

Big cheers as the riders set off to start the neutralised rollout at the beginning of the Tour de France Femmes.

The race will get under way after five kilometres.