Hello and welcome to live coverage of stage 9 of the Tour de France - and it's the big one: the queen stage of this year's race (at least, for many) is this seven-climb 181.5km schlep through the Jura mountains from Nantua to Chambery.

Alessandro De Marchi of BMC is riding in pursuit of Wellens. The Italian is one of Richie Porte's mountain domestiques so he will hope to act as a relay for the Australian later in the day, perhaps.

Difficulties already for Arnaud Demare, the French national champion. He's been suffering from illness and finished 37 minutes down yesterday. The Stage 4 winner is already off the back with two FDJ team-mates - Ignatas Konovalovas and Olivier Le Gac.

Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) attacked from the gun and the Belgian is currently leading the race with a number of riders - including Warren Barguil of Team Sunweb - in pursuit.

We're straight onto the first climb, the Cat.2 Cote de Neyrolles - which is only 3km long but it's very steep. In total today there is 4,700m of vertical gain today.

Christian Prudhomme waves his flag - and this stage is under way, with attacks coming in from the outset as the road heads uphill from the gun.

To make matters worse, thunder, lightening and rain is on the cards...

The remaining 193 riders are rolling through the neutral zone, the calm before the storm. This is what they have in store today: three of the 2017 Tour's six HC climbs, plus four others, and a fast - and potentially wet - descent down to the finish. There's more climbing than any other stage in this race, and it's a real brute.

Yesterday, French debutant Lilian Calmejane won an enthralling Stage 8 of the Tour de France, holding off the chasing Robert Gesink in a tense finale to a topsy-turvy day of racing in the Jura mountains, which also saw Chris Froome leave the road but retain the yellow jersey.