Hello and welcome to live coverage of stage seven of the Tour de France - a largely flat ride through Britanny from Livarot to Fougeres, and a last chance for the sprinters to nick a stage ahead of the Pyrenees.

Peter Sagan picked up 4 bonus seconds to move into second place on GC, 11 seconds down on leader Chris Froome - who tomorrow will be able to wear the yellow jersey after the maillot jaune took a one-day hiatus from the race.

That was Cavendish's first win on the Tour since stage 13 in 2013.

Cavendish wins his 26th stage of the Tour ahead of Greipel, Sagan, Degenkolb and Kristoff. It was a messy sprint by all of them - but Etixx won't care: that's their third win of the race.

CAVENDISH DOES IT! The Manxman beat Greipel and Sagan by half a bike, nipping on the inside to take his first victory of the race.

Very narrow road in this last kilometre... Kristoff is taking it up - they're all there...

Boasson Hagen is here for MTN too... we're under the kite.

Big splits after a roundabout - just 30 odd riders in this main pack now.

It's very strung out now we're in the final 3km and FDJ have now taken it up for Arnaud Demare.

Giant are doing the driving on the front - they have five men including Degenkolb. Katusha are preparing Kristoff, who has Sagan on his wheel.

Vermote is back - it must have been a flat tyre. Be interesting to see if he can get back up - he's trying. Kwiatkowski has gone to the front now for Etixx. Cav will also have Stybar and Trentin, as well as Renshaw.

Giant-Alpecin and Lotto-Soudal prepare their trains for Degenkolb and Greipel. Sagan, of course, will have to do it on his own, while Cavendish will get a launch from Renshaw. Don't forget about Bryan Coquard too - he looked good yesterday for Europcar.

Etixx-QuickStep's Julien Vermote has been dropped by the pack - either a mechanical or he inhaled a load of smoke from a road-side flare. Some fans can be right cretins. So, Cavendish down one man...

Live data shows that Nicolas Roche is riding at 70km/h at the moment - which is about right, because they're on a sweeping downhill drag.

Tinkoff-Saxo were right on the front but have dropped back a little. Meanwhile, Sky, Movistar and BMC drive the pace after a right right-hander has strung out the peloton.

Yes, the two remaining escapees are caught, and it's Luis Angel Mate who is the last to be passed and so he will be the most combative rider today. Right, now it's time to think about that bunch sprint...

The carrots are cooked for the two leaders...

Delaplace and Durasek have been swallowed up by the pack and it's Mate who's driving the pace. Neither rider wants to concede the combativity award today - although Feillu looks very much on the rivet.

Delaplace and Durasek call it a day so we have Feillu and Mate out in front. Still 15 seconds now.

Thomas is now back with the peloton. Feillu and Delaplace still drive the pace of the break - they're determined to at least enter Brittany out ahead of the peloton.

Just 15 seconds for the escapees.