Welcome to our live text coverage of stage 15 from the 2017 Tour de France! Today's route takes us 189km from Laissac to Le Puy-en-Velay - we're in the Massif Central in south central France, and the stage includes two category one climbs, a three and a four.

It's a hot, hot day out there, so hydration is very important for the riders. But it's remarkable how many different ways there are to drink from a cycling water bottle... as our friends over at Global Cycling Network have shown in this great video.

Happy Birthday to the Gorilla! There will be no win for Andre Greipel today, but he'll still be hopeful of picking up a stage win before the race is out. Are his legs still strong enough? We'll know by this time next week.

The race has entered a bit of a lull, with the break now way out at seven minutes and plenty of time to go before that crucial climb near the end of the stage. If you need a break then now is a great time to go and check out the Wimbledon final between Marin Cilic and Roger Federer, which is LIVE right now over on Eurosport 2 and Eurosport Player.

There's a very real chance the breakaway is going to come good today. The lead is now out at over six minutes.

Michael Matthews leaves nothing to chance and uses a lead-out man to make sure he takes the maximum 20 points on offer in the intermediate sprint. Marcel Kittel is still the clear favourite to win the green jersey, but Matthews is hot on his tail now and should close the gap further before the race reaches Paris.

Tim Wellens has abandoned the Tour after struggling through for two weeks. The Belgian suffers from prickly heat - a sun allergy which admittedly isn't ideal for taking on a grand tour in the height of the summer.

Jonathan Harris-Bass' culinary Tour of France continues. Today's offering is a delectable Tarte Tatin.

The intermediate sprint is on the horizon and the two breakaway groups have joined back together again, meaning Michael Matthews is well placed to close the gap on Marcel Kittel's green jersey tally.

Oof, Team Sky have done "Froomey" proud with today's yellow detailing.

The break's lead is being held at around 4'20. Will the peloton chase them down and how will they do that? Well, it's funny you should ask. Here's a handy video that explains exactly how to chase a breakaway.

It's not the high mountains or the Dordogne... but it's a pretty looking stage today. Admittedly, yes, you could say that for virtually every day of the Tour, but even the less spectacular afternoons still paint the country in a good light.

Some respite for those weary legs as the breakaway take on the lengthy downhill section towards the intermediate spring. The gap continues to grow back to the peloton, but the GC group won't be happy to give them too much more than the current 4'26.

Michael Matthews must believe he has a genuine shot at green today. The Australian is in a 23-man chasing group who are looking to haul in the leaders. He'll have the intermediate sprint in mind, with Marcel Kittel's point scoring opportunities limited in this week in the mountains.

The gap to the breakaway is out over four minutes, with Team Sky happy to give them a chance to get away. Froome is looking comfortable in his Sky train, with the British team using limited resources at the moment. It's set up for them to hit that late climb hard, and then maybe free up Froome to show off his descending skills down to the finish. It'll be an interesting day ahead.

This is a nasty day for the legs. A long, slow drag up to the second categorised climb of the day is almost over, with the sharp rise up the Cote de Vieruals on the horizon.

Could the yellow jersey change hands again today? Brian Smith thinks Fabio Aru is still a major threat to Chris Froome, despite losing the yellow jersey in a truly unpredictable Tour de France.

Warren Barguil wants that polka dot jersey and has bagged some more points as the first rider over the top of the Montee de Naves d'Aubrac.

Back in the peloton Alberto Contador's attempt to bridge the gap is short-lived, with Team Sky (sat in their familiar role at the front of the group) reeling his attack back in with ease. Sky have been impressively dominant on these sort of climbs all Tour, controlling the group with a gruelling pace at the front, limiting opportunities for attacks.

The pace is relentless and it's taken a big toll on the break. What was a ten-man group is now down to just three, with Warren Barguil still in that select group in the polka dot jersey.