Michael Woods and the polka dot jersey Neilson Powless also drop away from the main bunch.

Matteo Trentin has pulled the pin after doing loads of work at the front of the peloton earlier...as has Wout van Aert. Now that is a surprise.

He was having a cosy chat with Tadej Pogacar a few kilometres back possibly well aware he wasn't going to have to do any of the hard graft for Jumbo-Visma and Jonas Vingegaard up this gruelling stretch.

Quentin Pacher accelerates clear of the leading group. He has a huge sole ride in front of him here.

Surely he's gone way too early.

Image source, ASO

The breakaway group hit the slopes of the Grand Colombier with three minutes and 50 seconds for a cushion.

This is what awaits as James Shaw and Alberto Bettiol are told to "grit their teeth" by on the EF Education-EasyPost team radio.

Ineos Grenadiers, UAE Team Emirates, Jumbo-Visma and AG2R Citroen are sat across the front of the peloton as the pace starts to ramp up a touch before the final climb.

Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny) has abandoned the Tour de France.

The Australian sprinter is a five-time stage winner at the Tour and he finished second in stage four in Nogaro and third in stage three in Bayonne.

He had spent a lot of today well off the back of the peloton just in front of the broom wagon.

Image source, Getty Images

A few shots of some fairly substantial and raucous looking crowds on Grand Colombier.

This should be some finale we are in for.

Pierre Latour looks very tentative at pretty much every corner of this downhill section.

He has shipped over 40 seconds here leaving 16 riders at the front of the race with almost a four-minute advantage on the main bunch.

The leading group push their advantage out to three minutes and 15 seconds as Pierre Latour gets distanced on the descent from that last climb that wasn't officially a climb.

1. Mike Teunissen, 20 pts

2. Matej Mohoric, 17 pts

3. Anton Charmig, 15 pts

4. Harold Tejada, 13 pts

5. Nelson Oliveira, 11 pts

Jasper Philipsen began the day some 144 points clear of Mads Pedersen in the race for the green jersey.

Matej Mohoric's little injection of pace sees off Adrien Petit and Cees Bol.

Meanwhile, Mike Teunissen takes the intermediate sprint at Hauteville, with Mohoric, who is second trying to launch clear.

All his remaining breakaway buddies are alive to that though and straight on to his wheel.

The breakaway is climbing up towards Hauteville-Lompnes where today’s intermediate sprint is located.

This isn't even a categorised climb and bar Matej Mohoric, who seems desperate to get away, the rest appear resigned to the fact that they will be swallowed up by the peloton later.

Image source, Getty Images

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome is not competing this year and apparently has not been value for money either according to Israel-Premier Tech co-owner Sylvan Adams.

Froome, 38, said in a video on his YouTube channel that he was on track to be in peak condition for the Tour despite poor results in the build-up.

However, Adams speaking to Radio Cycling podcast disputed that and went further saying: "Absolutely not. How could we say we had value for money?

"We signed Chris to be the leader of our Tour de France team, and he's not even here," Adams said. "This is not a PR exercise. Chris isn't a symbol, he isn't a PR tool, he's supposed to be our leader at the Tour de France and he's not even here, so no, I couldn't say he's value for money."

Froome joined the fledging team in 2021 but has struggled to regain the form that took him to four Tour victories with Ineos Grenadiers (formerly Team Sky) after a career-threatening crash at the 2019 Criterium du Dauphine.

He did ride in last year's Tour and finished third on the stage to Alpe d'Huez but failed to start stage 18 because of a Covid-19 test while sitting in 26th place overall.

"I respect his past accomplishments, but if you want to be on this year's Tour team or next year's Tour team, we don't care what you did seven years ago," Adams added.

Transgender women who have undergone male puberty will be banned competing in the female category of competitive events under new rules that come into force on Monday, cycling’s world governing body (UCI) has announced.

Athletes who do not qualify for the female category will be able to enter Men/Open events without restriction.

Under existing regulations, transgender women are able to compete in female races sanctioned by the UCI providing they have a maximum testosterone level of 2.5 nanomoles per litre.

In May, the UCI defended that policy as being “based on the latest scientific knowledge” following controversy after American Austin Killips won the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico to become the first transgender women to win a UCI women’s stage race.

The governing body said on Friday that its management committee had voted to change those rules after further consultation with stakeholders and a review of scientific evidence, legal considerations and human rights.

Not a great deal happening out on the road at the moment. The leading group, which now stands at 19 riders has edged out to just over two minutes.

There'll need a significantly bigger cushion than that if one of them is to reach the summit finish first.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Another 20km or so until we get to the intermediate sprint.

The riders climb to the Lebe observatory, which is a long 16.4km drag drag at shallow gradients of 3%, before descending to Artemare.

After that we can expect things to really ignite.

Image source, Getty Images

It's about 30°C out on the road at the moment which when you factor in humidity is more like 38°C.

Bet some of these riders would welcome a quick stop off in other circumstances.

Ben Turner has been dropped by the peloton. The Ineos Grenadiers rider is apparently sick and is really struggling to keep the main bunch in sight.

The breakaway have covered 52km in the first hour of racing.

They have a lead of around one minute and 30 seconds.

Image source, Getty Images

Neilson Powless is wearing the polka dot jersey for the 11th time today.

That is a record for an American rider but still well off Frenchman Richard Virenque, who won the competition seven times and appeared in that jersey on 96 occasions.