A 170km ride awaits the riders today. It is the first stage classed as mountainous, and the question is - how decisive will the final climb up the Col de la Croix de Chaubouret be? The bookies favourites are Pluchkin, Schleck and Gomez Marchante.
The weather has once again turned and it is under bright blue skies the riders set out. The road is immediately up and down and the attacks come flying in. No one is able to get away and at the first KOM, Konovalovas from Credit Lyonnais jumps out of the pack to take it. Perez Sanchez comes through second, and Jose Serpa is third.
The pace remains high and David Millar leads though the second KOM sprint just over 10k later. Geslin is second and Sprick third.
A gap opens after the summit and eventually a group of 12 riders get away. The gap is 2'00 and just as the stage looks to be settling down, an attack from Davis in the pack shatters the truce.
The pack immediately pick up the pace again to chase, but then quickly think better of it and let the Davis group disappear up the road. They quickly join up with the original escape and the situation on the road with a 100k to go is a group of 17 have a 3'40 lead on the pack.
The most notable names in the escape are Kreuziger, Solokov, Millar, Szmyd, Geslin and Knees - whose work in the break yesterday means he is currently in the Top 10. Allan Davis takes the intermediate sprint and at 78k to go the lead has gone out to 4'55. The real climbing begins.
The next KOM is uncontested. Kreuziger leads over, with Knees and Millar following.
Back in the pack Accumulux have moved up to the front. 60k to go and the gap is hovering at 4'44. The next KOM is again uncontested. Mehr-Wenige the winner, with Kreuziger second and Knees third.
The gap back to the pack is coming down - 50k left and it is 3'49. There is plenty of life still left in the break though and with 40k to go and Davis once again is fastest in the intermediate sprint. Berthou is second and Kreuziger third.
Perhaps Carlos Barredo is worried about the state of things? He puts in a big attack in the flat before the Col de la Croix de Chaubouret. After a little hesitation, Jose Serpa goes with him.
It's a foolish move with Rabobank and Unicef driving things along.
At the foot of the climb they have carved out a gap of less than 30 seconds. The original break has a lead still of 2'32 though and a decent chance of getting to the top of this 9k climb still in front.
The road goes up and Iglinsky moves to the front and the pace is suddenly murderous. Riders try and attack but they barely get beyond the front wheel of the raging Kazak.
5k to the summit, with Iglinsky finally dropping off the front - Perez Sanchez decides now is the moment to attack.
There is hesitation in the pack - but when Frank Schleck decides now is the time to follow, all hell breaks loose.
Race leader Robert Gesink in the yellow is one of the last riders to jump. Eurosport are now at the head of the peloton and Gomez Marchante is biding his time.
1k to the summit and Schleck is up at the head of the race. Shoulder to shoulder almost with one of the day's orignal escapees Kreuziger.
Over the top and it is Schleck leading. But stuck to his wheel is Gesink. Third over is Arroyo and behind him Pluchkin.
There is a split on the descent and 16 riders have a gap. Gesink, Arroyo, Plaza, Iglinski, Popovych, Kreuziger, Knees, Gomez Marchante, Pluchkin, Perez Fernandez, Schleck, Konovalovas, Szmyd and Pecharroman.
The big losers are Ardila and Perez Sanchez as seen here.
10k to go and the lead group have a minute now on the closest chasers. 5k to go and behind them Arroyo and Perez Sanchez are doing all they can to close the gap. 5k to go and Szmyd decides he has the legs to attack from the lead group.
There is no response from anyone else - Accumulux are on the front and Szmyd fails to even open up a gap. In fact, he will have to grit his teeth and try and hold on to the back of this group for the last few kilometers.
No one else tries anything and it's Popovych who opens the sprint up with barely 700 meters to go.
No one has the legs to come around and the Unicef man has the win. Gesink edges Schleck out for second. The stage is now well and truly set for the showdown tomorrow on the slopes up to the ski resort of Mont-Serein....
