177km to go: Impressed as I am with the Millau viadcut, I’m even more amazed at how directors managed to get it into camera shot for the entire first half-hour of today’s broadcast. They have finally left it behind.
179km to go: Arnaud Démare is already being left behind, panting at the back, with Jack Bauer also toiling. Bauer’s team-mate Adam Yates is at the front.
181km to go: Thomas De Gendt is the first to take the lead, with the race starting with a gentle, 1.5km uphill section.
181.5km to go: And they’re off!
This is Millau’s newer bridge, which is ludicrously impressive.
I’ll do my best! I’m expecting quite a lot of early moves today.
Kate Bahen(@kate_bahen)
@Simon_Burnton TV coverage doesn’t start for another hour, and we miss the critical early moves and breakaways. You are all we’ve got! Great coverage, thank you. 🇨🇦
The racing is due to start at 12.20pm BST, clock fans. The riders are just over 4km away from that point, crossing the older of Millau’s two bridges, which is cleverly known as the Pont Vieux.
The day starts with a short uphill section, and the first categorised climb starts after 6km and ends 9km in.
EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale(@Ride_Argyle)
Today the Tour heads south towards the Pyrenees, covering a bumpy 181.5km heading south and west from Millau. Millau is twinned with Bridlington, twinning fans. There are three climbs of note, the category three Côte de Luzençon, the category two Col de Sié, and the category one Pic de Noire, making its Tour de France debut today. The stage seems set for some long-distance breakaway action, but time alone will tell. Here’s the top of the GC leaderboard as it stands:
Le Tour de France UK(@letour_uk)
📊 Here’s how the GC looks after 14 days of racing @LeTour 🗓:
Le Tour de France (@LeTour)
