Hello and welcome to live coverage of Stage 12 of the Tour de France - a 175.5km ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Alpe d'Huez via the Col de la Madeleine, the Lacets de Montvernier and the Col de la Croix de Fer. It's going to be as stunning as it is difficult.

Here comes Barguil. The Frenchman bridges over to the leading trio and comes alongside his fellow countryman Rolland without even saying a word. It’s fair to say that there’ll be no national alliance out there. Rolland has already won on Alpe d’Huez before and Barguil wants to join him in the history books. But first, the small matter of this 29km monster.

Right, it’s time to get serious. Rolland has been joined by Valverde and Kruijswijk as the break gets onto the ridiculously long Cat.HC Col de la Croix de Fer (29km at 5.2% and a height of 2,067m).

Julian Alaphilippe has decided to sit up and wait for the peloton. He’s added 23 to his tally so far today and moves up to 84 points. But with both Pauwels and Barguil still in the break – and 40pts still up for grabs – he is not assured of keeping the polka dot jersey today.

Rolland rolls through the intermediate sprint at Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne – where Bardet beat him for the stage win three years ago – to take the 20pts. Four of the escapees –Kruijswijk, Valverde, Sicard, Latour – come through around 30 seconds down before the others arrive in drips and drabs.

Luke Rowe leads the Sky-headed peloton over the summit of the Lacets de Montvernier with a deficit of 4’10” on Rolland and the other escapees.

It’s fair to day, that was quite a spectacular climb… although probably played very little bearing to the outcome of the stage.

Lone leader Rolland crests the summit in pole position to pick up the 5 KOM points. Behind it's Alaphilippe who takes 3pts for second, Pauwels 2pts for third and Gesink 1pt for fourth.

Rolland knows these hairpins well: in 2015 he rode up them in pursuit of Romain Bardet, who went on to win the stage in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne ahead of his compatriot. With Rigo Uran withdrawing this morning, Rolland is free to roll the dice and have a long pop.

Rolland rides with a 20-second gap on his fellow escapees after his curious attack. The pack is still 3'40" back but being driven by the Ocean Rescue boys.

We're onto the picture postcard Lacets de Montvernier now - a stack of hairpin bends that cut through a wood and cling to a cliff quite magnificently. It's a Cat.2 climb of 3.4km at 8.2%.

Attack! Pierre Rolland throws caution to the wind in the feed zone...

It's all come back together for the break as they pass through the feed zone and load up ahead of the Lacets de Montvernier, which are coming right up.

The leaders reach the bottom of the descent with a gap of 3'30" over the pack and 30" over their fellow escapees, who have Minnaard and Martinez chasing on after the latter punctured.

Barguil has knocked it off and so it's Alaphilippe and Muhlberger (not Majka, his Bora team-mate!) who are riding together with a gap over the French chaser and the other escapees. The pack is 3'05" back now.

Majka, Alaphilippe and Barguil have opened up a small gap on the descent but it is bound to regroup once we get to the bottom.

Not a great descent so far for the EF Education First riders in the break: Dani Martinez has flatted and needs a wheel change while Rolland, not renowned for his downhill skills, has dropped back a bit.

So, confirmation that Alaphilippe took the 20pts ahead of Barguil (15), Pauwels (12), Rolland (10), Majka (8), Perez (6), Gaudu (4) and Muhlberger (2). That gives Alaphilippe a 20-point lead over Pauwels in the KOM standings, with Barguil a further 6pts back. It's hotting up.