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45km to go:<\/strong> Rijnbeek\u2019s adventures are over. Her advantage disappears completely, and the GC contenders\u2019 teams lead the field, Visma to the fore. It\u2019s 17km to the intermediate sprint.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 49.5 km to go:<\/strong> And Rijnbeek takes the two mountain points on offer while back in the field there\u2019s a couple of near-collisions. It\u2019s a nervous peloton, and last year featured some heavy crashes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 55km to go:<\/strong> The gap is closing, and at 20 seconds, the peloton are within sight as the escapees split. Rijnbeek decides to leave behind Tomasi, and in chase of polka points on that cat.4 climb. She opens up a gap again, to 30 seconds or so.<\/p>\n Maud Rijnbeek of Netherlands and Laura Tomasi of Italy. Photograph: Szymon Gruchalski\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.19 EDT<\/p>\n 60km to go:<\/strong> Two categorised climbs today \u2013 only Cat 4 and Cat 3 \u2013 today is about the speed but the legs will be tested there. Even on flat stages, this is where the splits come.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 65km to go:<\/strong> It\u2019s 30 seconds or so that the two leaders have on the field. The peloton sees many of the GC contenders in the vanguard. With plenty of roundabouts, there\u2019s danger ahead.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 70km to go:<\/strong> We leave Vannes behind and enter the countryside with a gap of 10 seconds to the peloton, Tomasi joined by Maud Rijnbeek.<\/p>\n Gary Naylor gets in touch, referencing today\u2019s hommes stage but the point stands for les femmes, too, if you will forgive the Franglais.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Tour used to have long (250km+) stages that the riders voluntarily neutralised for the first 100km and it didn\u2019t matter because the TV coverage only started at 3pm. But with cameras on from Flag to Fin, it wasn\u2019t a good look, so the stages were shortened and the action was non-stop.<\/p>\n \u201cExcept human beings are not performing fleas. The effort catches up with them. So we\u2019re back with voluntarily neutralised whole stages (more or less) and – wouldn\u2019t you know it – it\u2019s not a good look for TV. Three big mountain stages, three hilly stages, three rolling stages, a prologue, an ITT, a TTT and the rest for the sprinters and breakaways, please.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s Femmes race was full of variety and intrigue. Let\u2019s hope for more of the same. Gary\u2019s right in that not every day can be Paris-Roubaix or L\u2019Alpe D\u2019Huez, even if we hope so. I\u2019m looking forward to the worlds in Rwanda. Doing some research \u2013 OK, lazy internetting \u2013 it looks daunting. For both men and women.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Away we go in Vannes<\/p>\n 77km to go:<\/strong> After that slight delay, the Breton roads beckon. Notable people from Vannes include Yann Kermogant, the taker of this penalty<\/a>. The breakaways begin, and off goes Laura Tomasi, the Italian. Big crowds on the road.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Well, the big news is that there\u2019s been a crash<\/strong> in the neutral start, riders smashing off the road furniture, bollards sending bikes all over the show. The race will wait for those who already need a new bike. Juliette Labous is among them and needs a new helmet. The 154 riders approach the start in Vannes, and the start will be standing one rather than a rolling one.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Jeremy Whittle previews the nine days ahead on the Tour de France Femmes<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The pair have other rivals, with Marlen Reusser, winner of the Tour of Switzerland and second in the Giro d\u2019Italia, and Elisa Longo Borghini, winner of the women\u2019s Giro, leading the way. Others capable of mounting a serious challenge include the Australian climber Sarah Gigante, France\u2019s Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot, winner of the women\u2019s Paris-Roubaix, and Anna van der Breggen of the Netherlands, third in the women\u2019s Vuelta and Vollering\u2019s former sports director.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Australia has a real hope in Sarah Gigante.<\/strong><\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s race was an all-time classic, going to four seconds on Alpe D\u2019Huez in moments of almost indescribable drama. This year\u2019s model has a lot to live up to, but the main protagonists, as Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma do battle once more. There\u2019s a host of other contenders, too. First up, a short, punchy stage set for a tea-time finish.<\/p>\n\n