Not a lot has changed in the last few kilometres - the weather still can't make its mind up, UAE are still pushing the peloton and the front two are still battling away, trying to keep the gap above two minutes.

It's coming down all the time, though, and is now at one minute and 55 seconds.

It looks quite busy around the 44km mark. I didn't spot the Yates' camper van, sorry.

Britain's Adam and Simon Yates were the story of Saturday's first stage and they are about to get another treat - their parents are in a camper van at the 44km mark and have put a banner out for their twin boys, who are wearing yellow and green jerseys today.

We are heading towards the business end of today's stage. Two more categorised climbs to come, but plenty more bumps in the road as well.

Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies) and Neilson Powless of the United States (EF Education-EasyPost) are still around two minutes clear.

Bad news for UAE here, because Matteo Trentin has taken a tumble on a bend and needs a new bike. The rest of his team-mates are not waiting for him, however, and continue setting the pace at the front of the bunch.

Image source, Reuters

UAE have spent most of today on the front of the peloton and here they are again, back at the bottom of Cote d'Alkiza after keeping a steady pace on the descent. Good news for Mark Cavendish and co, by the way, his group that was dropped on the way up has managed to rejoin on the way down.

The gap to the front two has not changed much by the way and is still hovering around two minutes and 15 seconds.

The road is really narrow at the top of Cote d'Alkiza, and there is even less room for the peloton when they get there, because they are absolutely packed with fans, most of them waving flags.

And it is indeed a case of job done for Neilson Powless - he reaches the summit first, riding through a sea of fans. We will see him in the polka dot jersey tomorrow.

Image source, EPA

Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen and Neilson Powless of the United States are still 600m from the top of Cote d'Alkiza.

Powless needs two points here to be sure of keeping the polka dot jersey for another day. The gap to the peloton has just ducked under two minutes for the first time in a long while but he will make it to the top of this climb ok, and that will be job done.

A bit of a tangle in the peloton, as Alexey Lutsenko goes down and riders behind him are forced to stop. Nothing serious, thankfully - Lutsenko is back on his bike.

Yep, Mark Cavendisgh has been dropped, but he is not the only one.

Up the road, Remi Cavagna is struggling too. Neilson Powless and Edvald Boasson Hagen are riding away from him and that breakaway trio is now now a duo.

We are on our way up the 4.2km Cote d'Alkiza now and Mikkel Bjerg is back on the front of the peloton, piling on the power - the riders at the rear of the peloton will not be enjoying this, already.

The UAE pace slows after a bit of discussion between their riders and that means Mark Cavendish is back in touch with the main bunch, for now.

The same thing will probably happen again shortly when the race heads up the category three Cote d'Alkiza - this stage is not one for the sprinters.

It's pretty wet where the riders are right now but, further up the road, it is absolutely tipping it down on Jaizkibel, the crucial final climb of the day.

The pace being set by UAE is starting to take its toll at the back of the bunch - Mark Cavendish has been dropped on the way up a non-categorised climb, but he is not on his own - he has got some of his Astana team-mates around him for help.

The gap to the three escapees is now only two minutes 45 seconds, so UAE are making a difference at the front of the race too.

The UAE team are setting the tempo at the top of the peloton - roughly speaking they are letting the gap to the escapees grow on the flat and then send Mikkel Bjerg to the front when the road goes uphill and he ups the pace to bring the breakaway back in.

The situation is changing all the time but the front three of Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen, Neilson Powless of the United States and France's Remi Cavagna are currently three minutes and 45 seconds clear.

There's a been a crash at the back of the bunch... Australian rider Alex Edmondson came off on a tightish bend through a town, but he's back on his bike and seems fine.

We're past the halfway mark of today's stage, the longest of this year's Tour. The roads are wet now and they are riding upwards into cloud and drizzle, but the escapees are still plugging away, four minutes and 30 seconds clear, led by Neilson Powless.

Another little lull in the bunch and the gap to the escapees has grown a bit, back up now to more than four minutes.

No more categorised climbs for a little while but the road is still bumpy and 'hilly forests' is how I would describe the terrain of this countryside... or maybe 'foresty hills'.

Image source, re

Yep, another mountain point for Neilson Powless, who is greeted by a sea of fans as he goes over the summit.

Behind him, UAE team are still eating into the breakaway lead - the gap is down to three minutes and 35 seconds now.

Image source, EPA

A reminder of who the three escapees are - Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen, Neilson Powless of the United States and France's Remi Cavagna.

It is Powless who is wearing polka dot at the moment, as leader of the King of the Mountains category. He is now after more points, on the way up the category four Cote d'Aztiria.