Key events

26m agoIntermediate sprint: top 10
30m agoVeistroffer claims the intermediate sprint at Landiras
3h agoRacing underway on stage seven
4h agoPoints classification: top 10 before stage seven
4h agoGeneral classification: top 10 before stage seven
4h agoPreamble

33km to go: This marks the 81st occasion Bordeaux has hosted a Tour de France stage finish. It appeared in 1903, the inaugural Tour. Only Paris has hosted more stage finishes.

35km to go: Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) launched an attack on the climb, yet it was quickly neutralised by the sprinters teams.

38km to go: Veistroffer leads Otruba up the category-four climb. They contest another full race for a single KOM point, and once more Veistroffer secures the victory.

40km to go: The television helicopter reveals the Chateau ducal de Cadillac, an impressive structure.

Consulting TripAdvisor yields details: The Chateau of Cadillac, constructed from 1599, showcases Jean-Louis Nogaret of Valette power, a cadet de Gascogne who rose swiftly to become first Duke of Epernon and earned the title King in all but name. It holds the largest collection of 16th and 17th tapestries in French national heritage buildings and functioned as a womens prison from 1818 to 1952.

42km to go: The break now holds just 56 seconds. The escapees cross a bridge over La Garonne at Le Pont de Cadillac. The category-four climb approaches soon.

45km to go: On TNT Sports, Carlton and Jonathan discuss the grandeur of the Tour de France. Carlton notes the race boosts French tourism significantly, with security such as police bikes funded by the state, unlike the Giro and Vuelta organisers who cover those costs themselves.

50km to go: The escapees push hard and now lead by 1 minute 45 seconds. The chasing group maintains pace without delay. Sprinters teams aim to avoid any tension when reeling in the break before Bordeaux.

The Cote de Beguey, a category-four climb, lies ahead shortly.

Intermediate sprint: top 10

Veistroffer 25pts
Otruba 20pts
Pedersen 16pts
Girmay 14pts
Kanter 12pts
Philipsen 10pts
Merlier 9pts
Turgis 8pts
Van Asbroeck 7pts
Matthews 6pts

Pedersen, wearing the green jersey, takes third place in the sprint drag race. He will likely target a strong result in Bordeaux as well. #MadsForIt

Veistroffer wins the intermediate sprint at Landiras

Otruba finishes second. Both competed intensely for the win, yet Veistroffer prevailed.

56km to go: Some political commentary emerges near the Bordeaux finish line.

Support for CB is growing, emails Sam. Just spotted at the 300m finish in Bordeaux. Allez Le Count!

58km to go: Sean Kelly discusses bike technology and notes modern bikes outperform those from 15 years ago. Newer models allow riders to stay in groups at high speeds with less effort, explaining rising average speeds in grand tours.

60km to go: The two leaders continue impressively. What seemed an easy day has become more demanding.

Under 5km remain until the intermediate sprint.

65km to go: Under 10km until the intermediate sprint. The two-man break holds a one-minute advantage. Pace has increased in the peloton amid jostling for position ahead of Landiras and the sprint.

Having selected Pedersen for my Velogames team, I back #TeamMads in the green jersey contest.

70km to go: Merlier has three Tour stages to his credit while Philipsen has 10. Are these two the main contenders for todays stage assuming all else equal? Might Olav Kooij and Decathlon-CMA CGM influence the outcome?

Renshaw noted earlier that Decathlon-CMA CGM pursue varied goals here, with GC for Paul Seixas and stages for Kooij, so they lack a complete lead-out train. Philipsen appears the favourite given his teams quality.

72km to go: Another 17km of racing precedes the intermediate sprint.

The bunch will likely contest third place, leaving the breakaway to claim the top two spots.

74km to go: A fast one, says Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick-Step when asked about the final sprint in Bordeaux today.

Space is limited so positioning will prove crucial.

As noted, space is tight and the sprint will be rapid. You must be in position.

Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla) reportedly draws motivation from his daughter. What drives Merlier?

My motivation is that I want to win another stage in the Tour de France.

Excellent response from Tim.

78km to go: The TV helicopter offers a prolonged view of a castle.

Unfortunately the official Tour de France local guide is unavailable for commentary like in the peak C4/ITV era.

80km to go: They are riding really strong, says Sean Kelly of the two-man break. Yet the peloton could allow them two to two-and-a-half minutes more since fatigue will set in during the final 40 to 50km. Riders prefer this as following wheels requires little effort, whereas slow pacing can prove tougher.

81km to go: The Tour de France has now exceeded the 1,000km mark.

Only 2,321.2km remain to the Paris finish.

83km to go: With Otruba in the Tour de France breakaway once more and an all-Czech final in the womens singles at Wimbledon, Czech sport enjoys a strong week.

87km to go: Czech this out, taken from the official TdF feed:

Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), in the breakaway, is one of three Czech riders in the Tour de France 2026 alongside Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) and Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL). This raises the total Czech participants to 17.

Czech cycling roots trace to the historic Peace Race, an international event in the latter 20th century that produced champions starting with Jan Vesely and inspired a Junior Peace Race now drawing future stars.

Zdenek Stybar also comes to mind as a notable figure.

91km to go: The gap extends to 1 minute 30 seconds after several riders in the bunch paused for a natural break.

Here comes the standard Citroen 2CV image:

And the usual pastel-coloured window shutters view:

94km to go: Other sports today include tennis:

Football, also known as soccer or the World Cup:

And a touch of cricket:

95km to go: That aligns well with the wine regions. I simply searched Bordeaux wine for the photo reference.

Meanwhile the gap shrinks to 45 seconds. It really is cat-and-mouse, says Hatch on commentary, as the bunch eases again to avoid catching the break too soon.

99km to go: Now an email titled Saint-Emilion photo, 136km

Small correction regarding photo, writes Matjaz.

Todays route passes through the vine region called Entre Deux Mers, Between Two Seas, between the Dordogne river to the north and Garonne to the south. It stays close to the Garonne, with Caprai as the northernmost village.

Saint-Emilion lies about 50km north, just across the Dordogne in the Libournais Bordeaux vine region. Together with Pomerol they form suburbs of Libourne.

Yet I agree with Jonathan that local vines are excellent and splendid Grand Vin du Bordeaux from Entre Deux Mers can be found for 5-6 euros in shops.

100km to go: We approach the halfway point of this flat stage. The finale promises excitement.

101km to go: An email from Amy titled Send you cake?

Luke, you are in France. I am a good baker but anything sent would arrive as stale crumbs. Enjoy the local offerings!

A valid point. Thanks Amy. Our reporter Jeremy Whittle is in France while I blog from London.

103km to go: The peloton riders pass through a feed zone.

Up front Veistroffer and Otruba ride with more intent.

On television a replay shows Uno-X Mobility appearing ready to attack past the pacesetters Alpecin-Premier Tech moments earlier. The reason remains unclear.

106km to go: We live down the road so went to catch a glimpse of the Tour, emails Ger.

2.5 hours beforehand we found ourselves 10 metres from the start. It was hot but we captured incredible photos.

The event is a brilliant carnival. Cold beer in hand now.

108km to go: Suddenly the front stretches out. Then just as quickly it calms and the bunch regroups. The gap is 55 seconds with 50-odd km to the intermediate sprint. Pedersen shows good form and may seek another 25 points at the sprint, but this proves a false alarm for increased animation.

109km to go: The gap is 48 seconds. Mads Pedersen attacks in the green jersey!

WE HAVE A RACE!

111km to go: In vaguely related motorsport news from last month I covered the Barcelona-Catalunya grand prix and stayed in Granollers north of Barcelona, where stage three began. Spectators were banned from the French section that day due to nearby wildfires.

112km to go: Commentators now discuss motorsport. A large sponsors watch shows 49C? The exact location is unclear but conditions are hot.

113km to go: The gap drops under a minute. Caution advised.

115km to go: Fans in inflatable dinosaur outfits line the roadside. What more needs saying?

I enjoyed a slice of cake yet may need another. On that note why does no one send cake as listeners do for Test Match Special commentators?

116km to go: Why not try our sports quiz of the week?

119km to go: Tom Steels (Soudal Quickstep) was the DS on the radio earlier urging more time for the breakaway, says commentator Rob Hatch. Robbie McEwen believes an easy day now will make the Bordeaux finish more hectic and risky with riders energetic.

120km to go: The gap is 1 minute 13 seconds.

124km to go: Beautiful city. Good wine, said Jasper Philipsen before the stage. Wise words.

The finish is technical alongside the river so we must stay attentive and secure good position.

We have a strong squad for the lead out. Hopefully we can play to our strengths.

Mathieu van der Poel proves a valuable lead-out man.

Team: Ramses Debruyne, Silvan Dillier, Tim Marsman, Jasper Philipsen, Edward Planckaert, Mathieu van der Poel, Jonas Rickaert, Emiel Verstrynge.

130km to go: Jonathan Harris-Bass shares a recipe on TNT Sports so I will head to the canteen briefly. Please hold the fort.

131km to go: Renshaw added that Olaf Kooij is confident he can come over the top of Tim Merlier in a sprint.

As Renshaw said hopefully we see a clean sprint between the fastest men later. Something to anticipate.

132km to go: Sports director Mark Renshaw (Decathlon CMA CGM) discusses the sprint finish today. It is difficult. We are juggling two objectives and lack a full leadout train here. Timing it right without getting caught too far back or too far forward is a fine line. Everybody knows this finish well. It is iconic in the Tour de France. The guys have watched 10 videos of the final. We know what will happen.

I keep my fingers crossed for a nice clean sprint and may the best man win.