Right, time for me to say farewell on a day when Mark Cavendish, the Tour de France's greatest ever sprinter, said goodbye to the race after crashing out in his 14th and final appearance.

You can read all about that rather sad news here.

I'll see you on Sunday when the race heads to the Puy de Dome for the first time since 1988, before Monday's first rest day.

The climb up the dormant volcano has delivered some extraordinary stories over the years so I'll see you around 12:30 BST to see what it serves up this time around.

Take care and see you soon.

Just a quick reminder of how things look on the GC:

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 34hrs 09mins 38secs

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +25secs

3. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 34secs

4. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) + 3mins 30secs

5. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +3mins 40secs

6. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) + 4mins 01secs

7. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +4mins 03secs

8. Romain Bardet (Fra/DSM) +4mins 43secs

9. Thomas Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time

10. Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) +5mins 28secs

Tour de France director, Christian Prudhomme: "It is an emotional day. He [Mark Cavendish] was so sad just after the fall. He is the best sprinter in the history of the Tour de France and he wanted to try and win a 35th stage and he was second yesterday.

"During two or three seconds yesterday we though he was going to succeed in achieving his goal and today it is over. He is sad, we are sad and the Tour de France is sad.

"He is so important for the Tour. I remember a few years ago when we were in the Alps and he was alone far, far behind the pack and we had to ask the police not to close the road because Mark Cavendish was on his bike. He is so respectful of the Tour and Mark deserves the respect of the Tour. He always will be welcome with or without his bike."

Image source, Getty Images

Jonas Vingegaard also says he is "very sad to hear about Mark Cavendish"

The defending Tour champion adds: "I spoke with him a few times in my first Tour de France and again this year.

"He is a super nice guy and I would have loved to have seen him take the 35th stage win. I still remember when I was a kid and I was watching him and all his celebrations. He was my big idol. It is really a shame for him and I hope he is okay."

Two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar: "When I heard in the race he [Mark Cavendish] had crashed it was a sad moment because he was in good shape. I think everybody here wanted him to win one stage and yesterday he was super close. It's a bad moment.

"He was one of my favourites when we were kids. Him sprinting on the Champs-Elysees, we just wanted to have his style and his legs. They were good moments."

Here is the stage winner Mads Pedersen: "We didn’t know this morning if it would be a break or a sprint. The sprinters didn't want to let the break go.

"My boys gave me a perfect lead out. Even with long sprint, I still had the legs to finish it off. It’s good to win a stage earlier than on stage 13 last year. When I passed the line, I knew I had won.

"It was long sprint. The final stretch was very painful. I was very close to sit up with 50 m to go. Jasper [Philipsen] had to do a great sprint to overtake me. Yet it doesn’t matter winning by a large margin or by a small one. Regardless of this, it’s beautiful to win at the Tour.

On Mark Cavendish having to abandon: "For me it was a pleasure to be able to ride with Mark Cavendish. I always had a good relationship with him in the peloton. It's so sad for a legend to finish the Tour like this.

"He still owes me a jersey, for a jersey swap. Hopefully I can do some of the last races he does."

In terms of the general classification there is no real change bar Simon Yates.

Jonas Vingegaard retains the yellow jersey as the overall race leader.

Belgian rider Steff Cras, who was 13th on GC has also had to pull out of the Tour after being involved in that late crash that saw Simon Yates go down.

Mads Pedersen's win is the 26th time a Danish rider has taken a stage at the Tour de France.

It is the second for Pedersen himself who already bagged a Giro d’Italia stage victory in Naples this year.

1. Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek) 4hrs 12mins 26secs

2. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Deceuninck) Same time

3. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma)

4. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/Jayco-AlUla)

5. Nils Eekhoff (Ned/DSM)

6. Bryan Coquard (FRA/Cofidis)

7. Jasper De Buyst (Bel/Lotto-Dstny)

8. Rasmus Tiller (Nor/Uno-X)

9. Corbin Strong (NZ/Israel-Premier Tech)

10. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates)

In case you're wondering about the fate of Simon Yates...the British rider crossed the line 47 seconds back and will drop a couple of places in the GC to sixth.

The main beneficiaries of that are Carlos Rodriguez and Yates' brother Adam, who both jump up a place.

Wout van Aert, who got blocked in by his own teammate, Christophe Laporte comes through to finish third.

Image source, Getty Images

Mads Pedersen holds off Jasper Philipsen to win.

The Lidl-Trek team go beserk with joy on the radio.

Can Mads Pedersen hold on...?

Jasper Philipsen comes through...surely not?

Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert are there with Mathieu van der Poel...

The finish is coming into sight. This first section is on a fairly hefty ramp.

Britain's Fred Wright looks well placed here and ready for a dig.

This is frenetic. Julian Alaphillipe makes his way forward.

Jumbo-Visma and Lidl-Trek are still full gas on the front of the peloton. Alpecin-Deceuninck are also there.