Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 8 of the Tour de France.
As the Cyclingnews blimp takes height, the riders are signing on in Cazères before the 141km stage.
Today's stage is relatively short but is packed with major climbs in the Pyrenees.
We'll also see if Julian Alaphilippe can take back the yellow jersey from Adam Yates.
🎙️ 🇫🇷 @alafpolak1 "It's not going to be easy today. We'll see how the legs are. It will all depend on how hard the col is, the Port de Balès and we'll see about the descent."#TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/0r0PT2XbmkSeptember 5, 2020
At the start the teams are getting ready to race. With 20 minutes to the roll out, its time to put the bidons in the race bikes.
This is the profile of today's 141km stage.
Before we get going, why not catch up on yesterday's action. There was a lot of action, with Bora attacking early to distancing Peter Sagan's green-jersey rivals before a tail/cross wind sparked echelons and lead to several GC contenders losing time.
To understand what might happen in the Pyrenees this weekend, check out this excellent preview by Barry Ryan.
"The Pyrenees are heartless, ruthless and atheist. Devoid of affection, a psychologist would say," the late Italian juornalist Gianni Mura wrote, outlining precisely why the Pyrenees matter.
Meanwhile at the start, the riders are lining up, they're taking off their masks and are about to roll out.
The stage covers flat country roads for the opening 42km until the intermediate sprint, then the mountains begin with the legendary Col du Mente, it is followed by the 11km Porte de Bales and then the Col de Peyresourde, before a fast, technical descent to the finish in Loudenvielle.
Here we go. 3-2-1. Go! The riders roll out of Cazères.
Race Director Christian Prudhomme has waved the official start outside of Cazères and we have a first attack.
Heading for km0 with @UranRigoberto not quite in pole position @LeTour #TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/gKQx8svbwRSeptember 5, 2020
Søren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb) was last to finish Friday's stage and is the first to attack today.
Others have now joined him as they try to form the early break of the day. However the pace is high as other riders try to join the move or close it down.
The KOM leader Benoît Cosnefroy is trying to join the attack with others, that could make for a big and very interesting group.
This is how it all kicked off.
There are 13 riders up front, including Ilnur Zakarin (CCC) and the USA's Neilson Powless (EF).
After just 10km the peloton has eased and let them go.
130km to go
It's easy to spot Cosnefroy in the peloton. He's covered in polka-dots from head to toe.
The peloton has eased even more now, and the gap to the break is up to 4:00.
The riders in the peloton are now chatting as they roll along.
Mitchelton-Scott have taken up position on the front of the peloton to lead the chase and defend Adam Yates' yellow jersey.
The 13 riders in the attack are: Benoît Cosnefroy and Nans Peters (AG2R-La Mondiale), Ilnur Zakarin (CCC), Kevin Reza and Quentin Pacher (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept), Michael Morkov (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Neilson Powless (EF), Fabien Grellier and Jérôme Cousin (Total Direct Energie), Carlos Verona (Movistar), Toms Skujins (Trek-Segrafredo), Soren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb) and Ben Hermans (Israel Start-Up Nation).
Here are the 13 attackers working smoothly together.
A number of riders are licking their wounds in the peloton after losing time yesterday.
Poor Pogacar was quizzed about seeking revenge today at the start.
105km to go
To read more about how Pogacar and Landa lost time and their reactions, read this story.
The break is about to reach the intermediate sprint.
Jerome Cousin kicks away and wins the intermediate sprint. His early attack surprised Michael Morkov (Deceuninck) to take maximum points and a prize of 1500 Euro.
The 13 riders have quickly reformed and are working together again. They know they need to stick together and try to gain as much time as possible so they hold off the charge of the GC leaders on the major climbs later.