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1248: The front three are still giving it a good go and are now seven minutes and 40 seconds up on the peloton.
"(Re: 1225) Catch rate is about one minute each 10km. Having been in a break that got caught in my race last night (still paying for the effort now) it's always amazing how quickly the bunch can come back, especially when someone starts putting in big turns at the front.
The speed differential can be quite considerable I think, not mention the benefit of many vs few in terms of effort and energy available. Then again a small break can work when the roads are tight and the bunch has more difficulties negotiating the obstacles."
BBC Radio 5 Live's Alex Murray on 606
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Thanks for that Alex. It will be interesting to see what happens to the three escapees!
1242: News of a crash in the peloton involving Spain's Alejandro Valverde, who wore yellow on Sunday and Monday. Nothing serious apparently but Valverde has a puncture and needs a wheel-change.
"Valverde has been accused in the past of not lasting 3 weeks in the Tour, i think he left something in the tank yesterday, look out for the mountain attack"
Paul S via text on 81111
Not the best timing for your text Paul but it does look as though Alejandro will be around for the mountain stages! For the record, he is currently 17th overall, one minute and 27 seconds behind Stefan Schumacher.
1233: Hmmm, the gap is widening again. Only slightly - up to 7:25 - but it shows the peloton are going to have to get their act together if they are going to catch Lilian Jegou, Nicholas Vogondy and Florent Brard . They have got time on their side though.
"Can't see the teams let another breakaway get home. Thor, Mark Cavendisah and Robbie McEwen are likely to be the contenders. I will go with Hushovd."
secretFootieFan on 606
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1225: "I don't think the team managers have sat our GCSEs ! Mind you they probably did if they got it wrong! What is the average catch up rate for the peloton - is it about 10km per minute?"
Rob via text on 81111
I'll put that one out the Tour experts out there...
1218: The other two intermediate sprints in today's stage are at Richelieu (at 98.5km) and Le Grand-Pressigny (152km). The breakaway trio will definitely contest the next one but not sure whether they will still be clear for the third.
The gap is down to seven minutes and 15 seconds at around the 75km mark.
1210: Hmmm, I think the peloton have decided to respond to the comments below! That gap to the front three got to eight minutes and 15 seconds at one stage but it is down to 7:30 now.
1206: "Tuesday's failure by about half a dozen teams to answer correctly the question "If train A is going at X km/h and train B is going X+Y km/h along the same route, how long will it take train B to pass Train A?" was the sort of thing that would embarrass most GCSE students, Somehow I don't imagine they'll do it again today.
You'd have thought Caisse, CSC and Columbia (T-Mobile as was) wouldn't have made the same mistake as they did in 2006 when the let Floyd Landis go (doped or not, they let him ride away while they squabbled over whose job it was to close him down and he put time into them on the descents as well as the climbs).
It feels odd to be five days into the Tour without at least two proper bunch sprints. Then again we've had our share of crashes, retirements and surprises, so I can hardly complain."
BBC Radio 5 Live's Alex Murray on 606
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1202: The all-French front three of Lilian Jegou, Nicholas Vogondy and Florent Brard are now eight minutes clear. Have the peloton learnt anything from Monday? We will be finding out over the next few hours - but it is early days yet!
Feillu takes yellow from Valverde
"Should just be a straightforward gallop today and something of a lottery (at the finish) I guess - as long as they don't let the break get too far, a schoolboy error on Monday!"
toffeesteveo on 606
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1158: If you think the 232km that the riders have to cover today is a big ask then spare a thought for the competitors in the 1921 Tour. Stages were a tad longer then (and the bikes were heavier too!) and they had to cover 483km between Les Sables-d'Olonne and Bayonne.
That's still the longest Tour stage ever and I can't see that changing soon!
1152: "Kim Kirchen is starting to build a fairly decent lead in the green jersey standings. Considering the general lack of really flat stages I'm starting to wonder if he might actually hold on to it untill Paris. By my reckoning as long as neither Thor Hushovd or Oscar Freire win today he should hold on to it."
Lowlandbrit on 606
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1148: As expected, race leader Stefan Schumacher's Gerolsteiner team are at the front of the peloton trying to close the gap. They want to keep their man in yellow so they need to snuff out any breakaways.
That gap is still getting bigger though - up to six minutes and 30 seconds at the last glance.
1145: "Schumacher rode like his Formula One counterpart yesterday - an unbelievable effort. I expect Cavendish to be higher placed in today's stage than any other, but I can see Robbie McEwen taking this one!"
TaKeAlUkE on 606
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1140: The front three have passed the 40km mark and are five minutes and 40 seconds clear of the peloton. They have a decent pedigree too - Nicholas Vogondy is the French road race champion and Florent Brard is the former French time-trial champion.
1134: "Today must be the day for Mark Cavendish. David Millar in yellow by Sunday evening."
Barry Gale in Plymouth via text on 81111
Hope you're right Barry. If we do have a mass sprint at the end of the day then he has got a chance. Not sure what this Tour has in store for us today though so er, expect the unexpected!
1132: There are three sprints during today's stage and the front three have just contested the first one at Argenton-les-Vallees. Jegou won it to collect the six points, ahead of Vogondy and Brard.
1126: You might remember Soler's magnificent win on stage nine of last year's race when he went out on his own in the Alps for what he called a "dream victory". What a shame he is out of this race before we even get into the mountains.
Soler Hernandez claims Alpine win
The leading trio are now five minutes and 30 seconds clear by the way.
1123: Bad news for last year's King of the Mountains winner Mauricio Soler who has just abandoned the tour because of an injured wrist.
Soler bravely carried on despite fracturing a bone in his left wrist in a crash during Saturday's first stage but had another fall in the neutral zone before the start this morning. The Colombian tried to continue but has had to pull out.
1116: Of the trio at the front, Jegou is best placed overall in 94th place, 5min 45 sec down on maillot jeune Stefan Schumacher. Brard is 117th (5:56) and Vogondy is 119th (7.02). The gap is up to four minutes now, and still growing.
1109: A quick weather update for you and, for a change, it's good news for the peloton. No rain, just glorious sunshine. Mind you, they don't want it to get too hot - this is going to be a long, long old day.
1106: Stage five got under way a few minutes ago and, just for a change in this year's Tour, we had an early breakaway - after just four seconds!
That attempted escape was quickly reeled in but three Frenchmen are clear now - Lilian Jegou (FDJ), Nicholas Vogondy (AGR) and Florent Brard (Cofidis) - and they opened up a gap of just under three minutes.
1102: German rider Stefan Schumacher is, surprisingly, the man in yellow today after his stunning performance to win Tuesday's time-trial. He holds a 12 second lead over Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen and Britain's David Millar.
Today is the last day before we hit the mountains and, should it end in a bunch sprint, fellow Brit Mark Cavendish is again in contention. Fingers crossed for him.
Let me know how you think today will go via 606 (using the link at the top of the text commentary) or send your texts to 8111.
1100: Get the Jaffa Cakes out! Today is the longest stage of the 2008 Tour - 232km from Cholet to Châteauroux. At least it's flat.
(BBC)
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