1625: Time to sign off for the day. It was a day when Alberto Contador reminded Andy Schleck why he is favourite to win the overall race with another explosive charge up a hill. I'll be back for Saturday's 196km ride from Rodez to Revel. Three category four climbs, two cat three, a couple of sprints - it's another transition stage to get the riders down to the Pyrenees where the real action will begin. Will be interesting to see if Cavendish fancies it tomorrow. There's a short cat-three climb near the finish which might suit Hushovd more. Join me for the 1145 start and we'll find out. Thanks for all your input. I wouldn't have made it through without you.

Overall Standings:
1. Andy Schleck (Lux/Saxo Bank) 58h 42m 01s
2. Alberto Contador (Esp/Astana) +31"
3. Samuel Sanchez (Esp/Euskatel) +2'45"
4. Denis Menchov (Rus/Rabobank) +2'58"
5. Jurgen van den Broeck (Bel/Omega Pharma-Lotto) +3'31"
6. Levi Leipheimer (US/RadioShack) +4'06"
7. Robert Gesink (Ned/Rabobank) +4'27"
8. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa/Katusha) +4'58"
9. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa/Caisse d'Epargne) +5'02"
10. Roman Kreuziger (Cze/Liquigas) +5'16"

Stage 12 results:
1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa/Katusha) 4h 58m 26s
2. Alberto Contador (Spa/Astana) same time
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz/Astana) +4"
4. Jurgen van den Broeck (Bel/Omega Pharma - Lotto) +10"
5. Andy Schleck (Lux/Saxo Bank) same time

1607: Bradley Wiggins found a little bit towards the top of the climb to finish just 31 seconds behind Rodriguez while Lance Armstrong trailed over the line 3'35" down

1605: The Katusha rider managed to outsprint Contador in the final run-in, but the defending Tour champion will not be too unhappy with that. He cruised over in second, with his Astana team-mate Vinokourov in third. Andy Schleck came in fifth, 10 seconds back. So his lead in the race has been cut to 31 seconds.

1604: And RODRIGUEZ WINS STAGE 12

1603: Contador goes over the top of the climb first, with Rodriguez second. Schleck is only 11 seconds back as we go into the final kilo.

1602: Lots of people on the road and Contador goes again. It's not easy for Schleck to see what Contador's doing. And what Contador is doing is blasting past Vino as though he were standing still. Contador is being followed by Katusha's Joaquin Rodriguez.

1600: Interesting for Contador, does he go for it and jeopardise a potential Vinokourov win? Kloeden has gone by Kiryienka who looks like he's riding through treacle. Here's your answer. Contador has gone and opened up a gap of 20m or so on Schleck.

1558: Looks like a bad day for Garmin as Hesjedal is caught. Their main sprinter Tyler Farrar has also abandoned the race in the last half hour with an injury. Team Sky's Brad Wiggins dropping out the back of the peloton. Vino is 40 seconds clear of Schleck and Contador.

1554: Armstrong is out the back of the peloton. At the front, Gadret has been caught. Cadel Evans makes a showing but doesn't have the explosive power to jump clear. Gadret has another go, but is brought back. Will he learn? Vino has another dig and Kiryienka looks beat. 3km to go.

1552: Garmin's Hesjedal has already lost the wheel of the other three and he is slipping back to the pelton. Kloeden has also dropped off as Kiryienka and Vino push on. Lead drops to 40 seconds with 4km to go. Contador has got into Schleck's wheel. AG2R's John Gadret has a dig off the peloton.

1551: Race leader Andy Schleck is third in the peloton as they catch the dozen who were chasing the leading quartet. The gap is 45 seconds as they go under the 5km to go barrier. Are we going to see a Schleck v Contador ding-dong?

1549: The finish is 450m along the runway at the Mende Aerodome at the top of the climb. An interesting sprint finish. Leaders inside the final 7km and holding on to a one-minute lead. This stage is far from over as the road starts to go uphill.

JackTwo on 606: "Is it my imagination, or is this hardest Tour in donkey's years?"

1543: Vino, Kloeden, Hesjedal and Kiryienka have not been caught. They realised the 12 chasers were with them and accelerated away again. Their lead over the main bunch is 80 seconds with 10km left. That's nothing when you consider the 3.1km climb to the finish.

From Tarquin in Grimsby: "Hushovd riding for that last intermediate sprint is the reason Cav isn't in green."

1541: The dirty dozen in the second group are catching our fabulous four up front. They're only 16 seconds back with 15km to go. The peloton has reduced the deficit to 100 seconds. Maybe not that clear cut yet? And as I write, we're back up to 16 at the front. Only Hushovd and Kern of the initial G18 that broke much earlier on the stage are not there.

1540: Cavendish drops to the back of the peloton and slides his hand across his neck to indicate that's him finished for the day. It will be a hard slog for him to the finish.

1535: The peloton has suddenly decided to have a dig. The lead drops 30 seconds in no time at all. Hesjedal sitting on the back of the leading four. He put in lots of work early on and is either feeling a bit tired or he's trying to save himself for the final climb as he can leap up to third in the general classification if he rides sensibly.

1532: Vino et al about to embark on a nice downhill section, perfect for getting a bit of speed up before they have to attack the Montee Jalabert. Remember, Contador likes this climb, having won in Mende in 2007 - be interesting to see how Andy Schleck handles it.

1530:Summariser Graham Jones on 5 live commentary: "Little bit disappointing not to see a Team Sky rider in the breakaway today. Today and tomorrow are their two best chances before the race goes into the Pyrenees."

Corrupted Mind on 606: "I know rooting for Kloeden is a a futile exercise. But I do like a good domestique getting his day in the sun."

1526: Leading quartet inside the last 30km but their advantage is coming down. Just a touch over three minutes.

1523: Belgian rider Tom Steels has just been on the 5 live commentary. He was the last man to be thrown off the Tour de France. In 1997, the then 25-year-old was riding on his first Tour and, in the days before lead-out trains, became frustrated with the free-for-all sprint on the sixth stage. He sat up a couple of hundred metres from the finish and lobbed his water bottle at France's Frederic Moncassin.

1517: Vino, Kloeden, Hesjedal and Kiryienka are 35 seconds up the road from the dozen riders they broke from and 3'40" up the road from the peloton. We are into the final 35km. Who's going to win this one then? Vino is looking good, although with his past history it surely won't be a popular win.

From Sam in Riga, Latvia, via text: "Don't know whether la groupe Kloeden will be caught. From those riders, you'd have to say Vino's track experience should play to his advantage?"

1510: Appears as though the peloton may have been given some duff information from the timekeepers. The bike that whizzes between the leaders and the peloton has a chalkboard that tells the peloton how big the gap is. The peloton was being informed the gap was 2'30" when it was really closer to four minutes. There's 38km to go. The other interesting sub-plot today, of course, is Andy Schleck v Alberto Contador up Montee Jalabert. Will the Spaniard attack or be attacked?

1506: The leading quartet are four minutes clear of the yellow jersey of Andy Schleck. Big, big move and this is looking dangerous for Saxo Bank.

1502: Vino, Kloeden Hesjedal and Kiryienka have really pushed on and are 3'40" ahead of the yellow jersey in the peloton. There's 45km to go and this looks like it might stick unless Saxo Bank can get some help from the main bunch. Hesjedal is only 5'42" down on Andy Schleck remember - he couldn't end the day in yellow could he?

1500: So, will the four-man break last to Mende? The final climb is known as Montee Laurent Jalabert after the Frenchman won there on Bastille Day in 1995. Refresh your browser if you'd be so kind and you'll get live commentary from BBC Radio 5 live's Simon Brotherton - link embedded in the top of the page.

1454: So, just the small matter of the category two climb up Cote de la Croix-Neuve to go then. It's only 3.1km long, but with a gradient of 10% its the steepest of all climbs on this year's Tour. And there's Hushovd, satisfied with his day's efforts, sitting up and dropping back to the peloton. And there's attacks galore off the front. Vinokourov and Hesjedal in a four-man break. RadioShack's Andreas Kloden also in it with Caisse d'Epargne's Vasil Kiryienka.

From Ben in France, via text: "Sitting on the upper slopes of Montee Jalabert, beaming sunshine, busy crowds, and good to hear the riders are vaguely running to schedule for the first time in a few days! Last two days have been painfully slow but the riders have started racing again today, thankfully. Shout out to my girlfriend Soph back in the pouring English rain!"

1449: Here they come into the sprint then and there's a proper go for it. Lampre's Gregor Bole does his best to stop Hushovd from getting the maximum six points, but he can't match the pace of the Norwegian who now knows he will be in green when he finishes the stage. Bole gets four. He was trying to stop Hushovd from getting too many points as his Lampre team-mate Petacchi was in green. King of the Mountains man Charteau is third for two points.

1440: That second and final intermediate sprint is coming into view. We're only 10km away. Hushovd knows he's back in green if he picks up one point. The likelihood is he'll get more than that. Will Hushovd give up for the day after that? Or can you see him putting in a big effort on the final climb?

1436: Tony from St Albans - bit of a struggle to do a proper vote on whether Renshaw should have been disqualified as I don't have the technology available or time to do a proper count! From everything I've seen coming in via text and on 606 so far, I'd say it's about a 50-50 split. Perhaps a couple more in favour of him being thrown out. Lots of people questioning how Julian Dean got off without punishment. The lead has been cut again to under two minutes.

1432: The G18 are looking comfortable out front. The lead is up at 2'20" with 66km to go. A Lampre rider on the front of the peloton but the entire Saxo Bank team is on his tail.

matzov on 606: "Saxo should bluff and relax the chase. All other GC teams are letting them cook."

From Tim in London, via text: "Thank you Chris in Tunbridge Wells: some facts, finally. Try telling Sean Kelly, who won the Green Jersey four times, that he was 'just' a sprinter."

1425: Riders on another uphill section - can't quite work out why this is not a classified climb as it looks as steep and much longer than the cat three they've just gone up. Smile from Lance Armstrong to the camera. His hopes of winning an eighth Tour disappeared a long time ago and he's just soaking up the atmosphere.

From Rob in Sheffield, via text: "Re the debate about jerseys. Surely the prize for consistent performance is the yellow jersey. Green should be for sprinters."

1416: Over the top of the penultimate climb we go. And Charteau makes sure he is over first to take the four points on offer. His lead over Pineau in the King of the Mountains classifications extends to 15 by my reckoning. Sandy Casar of FDJ is second for three, Quick Step's Carlos Barredo is third over for two points, while Vinokourov takes the one for fourth.

Corrupted Mind on 606: "I'm tired of "TV watchers" commenting on the Renshaw incident. Every real racer I've talked to shares my view that what Renshaw did was "dangerous" - Oi! TV watchers, if you want some idea of what Renshaw was up to get in your car, accelerate up to around 40/45mph stick your head out the window and start waving your head at cars alongside you. Then just casually veer to the kerb. If you're still alive come back and post what you think about the Commissars decision!"

1413: The G18 have responded and the lead has moved back out to two minutes. Hesjedal continues to control the tempo of the leading bunch, while Saxo Bank are still doing likewise for the peloton.

pigeons in the park on 606: "Did 2 riders have a fight on the finishing line earlier in the tour? Surely that is as bad as a headbutt? Both are still riding the tour I think." Yes they did and they are still riding. It was Spanish rider Carlos Barredo and Portuguese man Rui Costa after stage six.

From Chris in Tunbridge Wells, via text: "The tour doesn't need to change it's points system. People need to realise that the green jersey is a competition for consistent performance, not just sprints. Thor and Petacchi have collected most points by being consistently strong and regularly amongst the first through all the timing points, not just the finishes. If Cav could manage that, he might be up there with them!"

1404: The lead is starting to come down ever-so-slowly. It's at 1'45" with 85km remaining. the cat three Cote de la Mouline is approaching. It's a mere bump in relation to the rest of the hills on today's stage at just 3.9km in length.

pigeons in the park on 606: "The Tour de l'Aude (one of the 2 big women's tours) has a Prix de la Malchance awarded every day - a prize for the unluckiest rider of the day, which is awarded by the jury - and it's a fabulous prize. I wish we could introduce it into the TdF."

From Ed in Abingdon, via text: "What is the betting Armstrong is trying to lose as much time as possible so he can lead a break away for a stage win?"

From Paul, via text: "I disagree (see 1234). One dimensional sprinters like Cav/Cipollini get their glory through stage wins. The beauty of le tour is that it's many races within one. The green jersey is not necessarily for the stage-winning out and out sprinter."

1354: Garmin's Hesjedal doing most of the work on the front of the G18 as they try to make their break stick. Could it be a canny move by Astana and Vinokourov? Get in the break and push it along, forcing Andy Schleck's Saxo Bank to tire themselves out leading the peloton's chase? Meanwhile, Alberto Contador pootles along keeping himself nice and fresh for the Pyrenees. Or am I reading too much into it?

SageWithAge on 606: "If someone wishes to play "rollerball" on bicycles, then have them put on padding and have them go into a colosseum where crushing bones and blood can spill as spectacles. To listen to Renshaw suggest that he never expected such treatment from the TdF, is hilarious."

1345: The lead is being kept to just under two minutes as we approach the 100km to go banner. It's a big break and the peloton is obviously concerned.

From Martin in Surbiton, via text: "Totally agree with Rich in Newcastle (see 1234). TDF should learn from F1 and increase points gap between the stage winner & the other positions."

From Chris in Stirling, via text: "It's been years since I can remember anyone being thrown off the Tour for a non-doping offence. With all the nonsense that goes on every year, was Renshaw really that bad? Get the sense the Commissaires just like to flex their muscles at least once a Tour...if they're so keen to affect the result they should get on a bike and race."

1340: Saxo Bank's Matti Breschel and Jens Voigt keeping the pace high on the front of the peloton to keep the G18 on a two-minute leash (Sivtsov has got back to the leaders).

1335: The feedzone is at the summit, so a good incentive for all to get a move on. There's a slight incline to Le Gerbier de Jonc to focus on while they munch on their energy bars before a steady descent of 25km or so to the final 3.9km category-three climb up Cote de la Mouline.

1330: FDJ's Sandy Casar leads the G18 over the top to collect 10 King of the Mountain points. Charteau takes nine to extend his lead over Pineau, who is not in the break, in the race for the polka dot jersey. Quick Step's Carlos Barredo gets eight, Gregor Bole of Lampre seven, Mathieu Perget of Caisse d'Epargne six points and Footon's Rafael Valls Ferri gets five. Sivtsov drops out of the leading bunch to change his bike. He's trying to get back to them.

1327: Saxo Bank are leading the peloton's chase but the lead is going up at the moment and is just over 2'30" as the G18 reach the summit of Suc de Montivernoux.

DeGuzman on 606: "Tough stage for the riders today. Heat & a pretty high pace. The quality of the breakaway group makes sure le peloton will not take it easy."

1320: Vinokourov has apparently won in Mende before. It was 11 years ago when he was a second-year pro - at least he knows how steep that final climb is.

From Tom in Romsey, via text: "Why would Schlek think he can win a stage on a cat 2 climb finish? (see 1255) Surely this would favour more powerful riders with less to lose. Gesink?"

From Ben in London, via text: "In all respects Renshaw really should wind his neck in. He's been caught cheating and unlike many cyclists has made no attempt to hide it. He's just unfortunate that Howard Webb doesn't hand out the punishments on the tour."

1315: The G18 are around 5km from the summit of Suc de Montivernoux. Lead has lengthened a bit to 2'25". Nothing particularly significant there, although are there enough riders up there to make this break stick?

Tom on 606: "I suspect for the stage today it will all be back together on the final climb, then attacks left, right and centre from everyone. If the situation is in favour of AS he may well go for the stage win."

1304: There are 15 of the 22 teams in the race represented in the break. Cofidis has the most riders with three - Christophe Kern, Amael Moinard and Remi Pauriol. The lead is hovering at around the two minute mark as they continue to climb Suc de Montivernoux.

rubertoe on 606: "Another breakaway and again no Team Sky representation - I know that they are still saying that it is all about getting Bradley up on GC - but what is the point if the best they get out of this Tour is an 11th on GC and no Stage wins? Sky should just forget about Brad and look to get in every break (Flecha, EBH) and look to get some stage wins, or whatever DB (Dave Brailsford) says this will be a poor start to team Sky at the TdF"

From Ali in Knaresborough, via text: "Surely, Pete, (see 1246) the whole point of the green jersey is that it is for the sprinters to win? Next you'll be suggesting that we have points for the polka dot jersey on flat stages?"

1255: "Right now I'm feeling good so why not go for a stage win?" That was Tour race leader Andy Schleck, talking after stage 11. The Luxembourg rider is in the peloton some two minutes behind the leading 18.

njbh86 on 606: "For what it's worth, I think Renshaw's "headbutts" were entirely justified. What else was he supposed to do, let go of the handlebars? Brake and cause a crash? All he was doing was trying to keep out of the fence."

From Pete, via text: "Leaving the Green Jersey to sprinters could be a bit one dimensional (see 1234). At least now the intermediate points make it tactical and can involve more types of riders."

1246: That result means Hushovd is level with Petacchi in the green points jersey classification. The second intermediate sprint comes in about 80km. There's the small matter of the first category two climb of the day and the final cat three inbetween. They are all on the bottom slopes of the first of those ascents, a 13.7km slog up Suc de Montivernoux.

1244: Surprisingly, Cervelo's Hushovd fails to win all six points after he is beaten by Lampre's Gregor Bole. The Norwegian picks up four points for second. HTC Columbia's Kantstantsin Sivtsov picks up two points for third. Lead extends to more than two minutes.

1240: Garmin's Hesjedal is in with the escape party. He's the best-placed rider in the race being just 5'42" behind race leader Andy Schleck. Vinokourov is 6'31" back. They have opened up a lead of 1'42" as they go through the sprint.

From Rich in Newcastle, via text: "Why has nobody questioned the points system for the green jersey? Last year Cav won 6 stages beating all others inside out yet didn't win green as Hushovd picked up big points from the minor places and intermediates. Whilst Thor is the better all round rider Cav is by far the best sprinter which after all is what the green jersey is for. Make it 50 points for winning a sprint not 35 and the jersey then goes to the best."

1234: Astana's Alexandre Vinokourov is in the lead bunch which has opened up a 65-second lead over the peloton as they approach the the first of the day's intermediate sprints in Mariac. Interestingly, Thor Hushovd is in the breakaway. Think he wants that green jersey back from Alessandro Petacchi?

From Arne in Norway, via text: "Hushovd is having the green jersey. Why does Cavendish let him having all the points. One more green jersey for Thor."

BBC Radio 5 live's Phil Sheehan on Twitter: "The commissaires applied the letter of the law and the race couldn't be seen to condone dangerous riding."

1227: Awaiting confirmation of the other 14 escapees who have opened up a 25-second lead on the descent. Pineau does not appear to be among them though.

1222: Another escape party has gone on the attack. This one is fairly large at 18 or so riders. Anthony Charteau is definitely in it because he has taken the four points for getting over Col des Nonieres first. That puts him in the virtual polka dot King of the Mountains shirt as his main rival Jerome Pineau did not feature in the points. Cofidis rider Christophe Kern was second over with Caisse d'Epargne's Vasil Kiryienka and Euskaltel's Gorka Verdugo picking up two and one respectively.

From Nick in Bristol, via text: "I don't think Renshaw was entirely justified in the last headbutt but Dean clearly came off his line and tried to cut off Renshaw and Cav, it was an overly harsh decision to throw him out. Dean was also to blame but this appears to have been totally overlooked. Farrar isn't half the sprinter that Cav is and obviously blocking him off is the only way Farrar would win."

maratsafin on 606: "Hush has to go for the intermediates to seal the green because he's shown he won't beat Ali Jet, Farrar or Cav in a bunch."

1220: The riders are on the second cat-three climb of the day, the 5.7km haul up Col des Nonieres. A brief attack by FDJ's Sandy Casar is thwarted.

From Steven in Zaire, via text: "Are we going to have another stage ten here? Why are GCcontenders like Hesjedal wasting their energy, Saxo Bank wont let them go."

From Scott in Trowbridge, via text: "Now that Renshaw isn't a part of the HTC lead out anymore do you reckon Cav will go for those intermediates? Now that wins are less likely."

1212: Well, that was short and sweet. The peloton having no messing around at the moment. All three are back in the bunch. Stat of the day so far? The first hour has been covered in 49.3km/h and that includes going over the category three climb. Compare that to yesterday when speeds barely crept above 40km/h on a predominantly downhill stage.

1210: Back on the road and Chavanel, who of course was in yellow for a couple of days earlier in this year's Tour, is the best-placed of the three out front, although he is no longer a threat to Andy Schleck's lead. The Quick Step rider is a touch over 25 minutes down. Lampre's Cunego is nearly 45 minutes behind in the overall standings and FDJ's Vaugrenard is 92 minutes back.

1207: While that break settles in, here's Renshaw again: "Cavendish is 10 times the sprinter that Tyler Farrar is. Farrar is just flapping around the place, making up the numbers. I can't see him winning a sprint, The only way they could win is if they take us out. I think that is the attitude Garmin has. I've read reports that they said the disqualification was justified and that my actions were intentional. I think it's pretty harsh and I won't speak with anyone from Garmin anymore." Thoughts?

1202: Bit more from the Renshaw interview and he's had an astonishing pop at Garmin after yesterday's spat. "It's sad to say but Julian Dean's sole objective seemed to be to put me in the barriers. Cavendish will regardless of whether he's got one rider or five with him." More in a minute. We have another break. Benoit Vaugrenard, Sylvain Chavanel and Damiano Cunego have had a dig. They are 10 seconds clear through 43km.

From John, via text: "Disappointed with Team Sky they hardly ever get involved with much. Apart from Thomas in the prologue almost nothing."

1157: Hesjedal has sat up and waited for the peloton. Costa and Fedrigo continue with their attack for a few more seconds before also sitting up and we are back to as we were at the start. Ever wanted to know what it takes to be a top-class sprinter? Well, you're in luck. HTC Columbia sprinter Mark Cavendish talks you through it in this handy little video. (It was put together a couple of years ago for those of you wondering why he looks so fresh-faced!)

The Count on 606: "If Hesjedal wasn't so highly placed in the GC he'd be perfect for this stage - it suits his breakaway companions too."

From Dominic in Surrey, via text: "I can't believe Mark Renshaw didn't win yesterday's Most Aggressive Rider award. Some mistake, surely."

1147: Leaders are over the top of Cote de Saint-Barthelemy-le-Plain. Fedrigo takes the four points for first, Hesjedal three points and Costa two. Rein Taaramae of Cofidis leads the peloton over for a point. Talking of the peloton, there has been a spill. Sky's Geraint Thomas and King of the Mountains leader Jerome Pineau have gone over, but they are back up and cycling.

The_Usual_Suspect on 606: "Lance and Kloden dropped already, so I doubt he's been saving energy the last few days to go on a break."

1139: There has been a breakaway up the Barthelemy climb. Garmin's Ryder Hesjedal, Bbox's Pierrick Fedrigo and Caisse d'Epargne's Rui Costa - they have opened up a 20-second lead on the bunch. Only a couple of kilometres to go to the top.

1137: Renshaw, when asked what he was doing, replied: "I'm sitting here at a train station in Valence on my own with two suitcases waiting to get a train home." Farrar meanwhile, has been dropped by the peloton on the first climb. He's not on his own though as fellow sprinter Robbie McEwen has also dropped back.

1133: The speedy start to today's stage is in complete contrast to the pedestrian pace of Thursday's opening. While we wait for any action, here's more from Mark Renshaw, talking to Le Tour website: "In the heat of the moment I may have committed some things wrong. The point that I think I did probably make an error of judgement was when I moved left. I looked and didn't see anyone, thinking Farrar was coming on my right and I moved left. I never meant to impede his line. I moved away once I realised I might have impeded him but I don't think that offence warrants getting kicked out of the Tour de France."

1130: Throughout this year's race, cycling's governing body, the UCI, has been doing random checks on the bikes for "performance-enhancing products" - engines to me and you. So far, they've found none, although they were unable to check yesterday as the equipment wasn't working.

From Nick in Ipswich, via text: "All is fair in love and war they say! Renshaw v Dean. Both riders were a little naughty. Dean with his elbows and Renshaw with his head. These sprints are highly charged affairs contested by a bunch of testosterone charged neurotics that we love to see. I love it. This isn't the Queen's tea party thank God. Rap on the knuckles to both riders no more and let's get on with the action."

1123: Nobody has escaped and we are 15km into today's stage already. We are getting onto the bottom of the first climb so expect that to change soon. The sprinters will be the first to start forming the bus. In the meantime, for those of you who like your golf, can I point you in the direction of Sam Lyon's excellent live text from the Open? Be sure to come back though, won't you?

dave_eddie_and_oz on 606: "Has Lance been saving his legs the last 2 days or just genuinely struggling to keep up with a very casual peloton. If it's the former, is it too crazy to suggest he might try to get in the break today? Millar is surely twitching as well."

1115: The riders are all together as they move reasonably speedily towards today's first climb. It's 10.7km to the top of Cote de Saint-Barthelemy-le-Plain. It's the first of three category three climbs and they are around 10km from starting the ascent.

wooley7 on 606: "I agree with the Count, The right breakaway will allowed to succeed with some of the lower GC guys trying to make a few seconds up. Meanwhile Schleck and Contador watch each other but they could just have another go at one another as AS does need to gain every second he can with the TT to come."

1112: Renshaw's disqualification and Samuel Dumoulin's decision to quit due to fatigue means 177 riders are left in this year Tour. One of them, German champion Fabian Wegmann has an early stretch of the legs, but he is pulled back, as is Rabobank's Lars Boom when he tries a couple of minutes later.

From Jay in Southampton, via text: "Seems to me that the minute the sprint competition gets remotely contentious, the officials step in to spoil the drama."

1105: And we are racing folks. How will leader Andy Schleck approach the day? He knows he has to increase his lead over second-placed Alberto Contador if he is to remain in yellow all the way to Paris as the Spaniard is by far the better time trialler and there's a 52km one coming on the penultimate stage. He has a 41-second lead at the moment, but will he wait for the Pyrenees to have another go? Questions, questions questions this morning. Anyone have all the answers?

From Paul, via text: "In a tour full of incident, Renshaw's exit should now give us a chance to see what cav is capable of without a perfect leadout."

1100: Five categorised climbs for the riders today. Will Jerome Pineau get involved in a break? He's leading the King of the Mountains by two points from fellow Frenchman Anthony Charteau - could we have a real ding-dong on our hands? Don't forget the Frenchman in third either. Christophe Moreau is 30 points back but could do some serious damage if he gets away.

The Count on 606: "I think a break will win the stage and then I think the Heads of State will have a pop at each other when they get right to the end."

UrlaubInPolen on 606: "This (finishing) climb was featured in Paris-Nice. The top 5 up the climb were Contador, Valverde, S Sánchez, Rodríguez and Voeckler."

1056: Let's not forget today's stage as well. It's a lumpy, bumpy 210.5km ride from Bourg-de-Peage to Mende. Three category-three climbs, two category two climbs and a couple of intermediate sprints thrown in for good measure. There's a hilltop finish in Mende at the summit of the second cat-two hill - a short, sharp 3.1km climb with a 10% gradient in places - that's steeper than on any other climb on this year's Tour. The riders are currently ambling through the neutral zone and will be starting in a couple of minutes or so.

1055: What do you make of what went on yesterday? Were race officials right to disqualify Renshaw? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter,606 or text us your views & comments on 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide). Please put Cycling at the beginning of your message. (Not all contributions can be used. Messages will be charged at your standard operator rate.)

1052: Here's a statement from Renshaw on how he viewed the incident: "I'm extremely disappointed and also surprised at this decision. I never imagined I would be removed from any race especially the Tour de France. I pride myself on being a very fair, safe and a straight up sprinter and never in my career have I received a fine or even a warning.

"Julian came hard in on my position with his elbows. I needed to use my head to retain balance or there would have been a crash. If had used my elbows when Julian brought his elbow on top of mine we would also have crashed. The object was to hold my line and stay upright.

"I hadn't started the sprint yet. We were still at 375m to go. After that Cavendish had to start his sprint early and I was also ready to finish off the sprint as I still had a lot left in my legs. It would have been good to try to take some more points. I only saw open space on my left. I had no idea Tyler Farrar was there. By no means would I ever put any of my fellow riders in danger." Read more on the story by clicking here.

1048: In a nutshell, here's what happened. Renshaw was in the perfect position to lead-out Cav to the sprint finish but with about 500m to go, Garmin's Julian Dean put pressure on Renshaw and came into his line as he tried to bring his team-mate Tyler Farrar to the front. So HTC Columbia's Renshaw rider responded by using his head to push Dean away, three times. Their spat slowed them down so Cav took off about 375m from the line and sprinted to the victory. Behind him, Renshaw then appeared to swerve into the path of Farrar and block him. Race officials immediately threw Renshaw out of the race.

1047: Morning all. Welcome to stage 12 of this year's Tour, but before we take a look at what's coming up, let's have a quick reflection on yesterday's fractious finish.

1045:HTC Columbia rider Mark Renshaw on Twitter: "I think (the) punishment was very harsh. I never imagined that i would ever be dq'd from the tdf. Very disappointed."