Hello and welcome back to live coverage of the 102nd edition of the Tour de France - and after a much needed rest day on the apron of the Alps. Today is the first of four successive days in the high Alps, with five climbs on the menu for the 161km ride from Digne-les-Bains to Pra Loup.

CRASH: Lieuwe Westra of Astana hits the deck - looks like he must have touched wheels with someone in the yellow jersey group, which trails the break by 1:45.

Some big names in the break: Cannondale-Gamin duo Andrew Talansky and Ryder Hesjedal, Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Jan Bakelants (Ag2R-La Mondiale), Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-QuickStep), Nico Roche (Team Sky), Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo), Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge), Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo), Richie Porte (Sky), John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin), Daniel Teklehaimanot (MTN-Qhubeka).

We're onto the Cat.3 Col de Toutes Aures (6.1km at 3.1%). Sagan is in a group of 28 riders 1:30 ahead of the yellow jersey group.

Rumours filtering through that Tejay Van Garderen may not make it through today's stage... The American is currently 2:35 behind his GC rivals in a second peloton.

It's all change with around 20 riders - including Peter Sagan - now ahead of the pack by about 40 seconds. It's confusing but hopefully the race will settle soon as the riders edge onto the start of the next climb.

History: Beware, whoever wears yellow! It's 40 years since the great Eddy Merckx - punched by a spectator the previous day - rode clear on the Col d'Allos before imploding on the final climb to Pra Loup, losing the stage and his yellow jersey to Frenchman Bernard Thevanet, who would go on to win the 1975 Tour and end the Belgian's reign at the top.

Van Garderen is clearly having problems today - he's calling for the medical car. Sagan, Talansky and Kruijswijk have been caught by the main pack and around 30 riders are now clear - including the yellow and white jersey of Froome and Quintana.

Here's a profile of the descent... and Van Garderen is now 1:20 behind the main pack.

Guess what? Peter Sagan has joined Talansky and Kruijswick on the descent... The Slovakian clearly using his downhill skills to edge ahead of the main pack.

Frenchman Jérôme Coppel (IAM) has withdrawn from the race. The 28-year-old was in 94th position.

Two riders our ahead now on the descent of the Col des Lèques: Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Garmin) and Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo).

Van Garderen already one minute down on his GC rivals - and there are still four more climbs to go - and they only get harder...

Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) crests the summit to take two KOM points and Kristjian Durasek (Lampre-Merida) is second for one point. Remember, Poland's Majka won the polka dot jersey last year.

Tejay Van Garderen has been dropped by the main pack. This doesn't bode well for the American from BMC, who is defending his third place in the Alps.

That dig by Quintana and the response by Sky saw the main pack nullify the threat from the break, which has been reeled in. The upshot of this increase in tempo is that many riders are off the back - around 60-odd in fact.

ATTACK BY NAIRO QUINTANA! The Colombian climber, wearing the white jersey, has a dig on the first climb of the day - and Team Sky are forced to reel the Movistar rider in.

We're onto the Cat.3 Col des Lèques (6km at 5.3%). Pierre Rolland, Andrew Talansky, Rafal Majka, Michele Scarponi and Serge Pauwels are also in this leading group.

Around 35 riders have managed to open up a gap - including Peter Sagan, Joaquim Rodriguez, Thibaut Pinot, Albert Timmer and Dani Navarro.

Europcar now leading the pack. They have a few cards to play today in Thomas Voeckler, Cyril Gautier, Romain Sicard and, most importantly, Pierre Rolland. Jean-Rene Bernaudeau's team are also looking for a new sponsor so they will be looking to impress in the Alps with that two-week deadline looming like the sword of Damocles...

We have five climbs today for a total of 29 KOM points. The current leader of the king of the mountains competition is Chris Froome, who leads double stage winner Joaquim Rodriguez by 61 points to 52. But given Froome is in yellow, it's the Spaniard from Katusha who yet again wears the polka dot jersey today.

Talking of Astana, defending champion Vincenzo Nibali still thinks he can make the podium - despite trailing third place Van Garderen by over four minutes. "I'm very far away from the podium," Nibali told Gazzetta. "But it's not impossible. With a bit of luck, I can make it. Don't expect a solo attack in the middle of a mountain, something that guarantees they take you by the ears when they catch you later on. With fresher temperatures I'll go better and the rain isn't a problem for me. I've never felt super for all of this year. I was more self confident and determined one year ago. I'm not pissed off. I haven't been able to live normally after I won the Tour. But I'll play my cards in the Alps, and hopefully win a stage."