Another crash and it is David Gaudu this time, another man from the top end of the GC, who goes down on a tight corner of this descent. He's back on his bike now, on a spare bike, but he looks in trouble and he will lose time here.

Pinot goes over the top, and behind him Tom Pidcock sprints for the summit - can he use his descending skills to close the gap on the way down this mountain? It was 34 seconds, but it is coming down straight away.

Still one more Category One climb left after this one. Pinot is about to crest the Petit Ballon and the crowds are even bigger here. Still all for him too - they really do love him here.

Every banner has Pinot's name on it. Every fan is behind him. The gap is rising, to 32 seconds as he nears the summit.

Just over 1km to the summit and Pinot leads Tom Pidcock and Warren Barguil by 25 seconds, with Chris Harper a little further back. These are Pinot's home roads and he knows them better than anyone, plus he has got the crowd on his side.

Amazing scenes on Petit Ballon, most of these fans are here for Pinot and they are getting exactly what they came for. He fights his way upwards, through the crowds and through the din.

Back down the road, Giulio Ciccone has been caught by the yellow jersey peloton.

Tom Pidcock, Warren Barguil and Chris Harper are 22 seconds behind Pinot, with 2.5km to go to the top of Petit Ballon.

It is amazing to watch Thibault Pinot getting roared up this mountain and he hasn't even got to the section where hundreds of his fans are massed. He's riding away from Pidcock and Harper at the moment and is one minute and 20 seconds ahead of the yellow jersey group.

Tom Pidcock and Chris Harper are still chasing Thibault Pinot and are about 20 seconds behind him.

The yellow jersey group is shelling riders all over the road because of the pace being set by Team UAE. Fewer than 25 riders in that group now, including Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar.

Thibault Pinot knows these roads well and he will have the support too, that's for sure. He charges on, and the gap is growing. He is giving absolutely everything.

Thibault Pinot goes again, this time on his own. He's dropped the other four escapees and has lead of 15 seconds over the break.... there are hundreds of French fans waiting for their home hero nearer the summit.

Marc Soler is leading the Team UAE chase at the front of the peloton. They are making some inroads into the break, but it's still one minute and 20 seconds clear.

We hit the slopes of the Petit Ballon and Thibault Pinot attacks. Tom Pidcock goes with him, so does Pinot's team-mate Valentin Madouas, Ciccone and Warren Barguill. They have got 8km to go to the summit.

They've opened up a gap of 25 seconds on the rest of the escapees, and have a lead of one minute 30 seconds on the peloton.

Tom Pidcock, Thibaut Pinot, Giulio Ciccone, Mattias Skjelmose, Warren Barguill, Maxim van Gils, Chris Harper, Valentin Madouas, Rigoberto Uran and Kevin Vermaerke are the men in the break.

A quick reminder of how close Friday's finish was. Matej Mohoric's lunge for the line denied Kasper Angreen back-to-back stage wins, by the width of a wheel rim.

So, we've got two Category One climbs to come before the finish and the 10-man break has a lead of one minute and 20 seconds on the peloton, which is being led by Team UAE.

Breakaways have won the past two stages of the Tour, will this be three in a row or can Tadej Pogacar and Co. crash the party?

This is Thibault Pinot's final Tour and he is going to get quite a welcome on the next climb, the Petit Ballon, judging from the TV pictures I've just seen. He has hundreds of fans waiting for him there, waving placards and flags.

A grinning Ciccone takes the summit first, and holds his arms aloft as he goes over the top... before giving his polka dot jersey a kiss - it is his to keep until Paris now.

Image source, EPA