16:15 - TOP TEN RESULTS: 1. Sanchez 2. Schumacher (0'06) 3. Pozzato 4. Kirchen 5. Valverde 6 Pereiro 7. Samuel Sanchez 8. Jufre 9. Vandevelde 10. A. Schleck

0km - LUIS LEON SANCHEZ TAKES THE WIN!! Schumacher pips Pozzato into third place and Kirchen into fourth! Damiano Cunego was in the second group, which finishes about 31 seconds back with Hushovd taking the bonus points from Freire in the second mass sprint.

2km - Sanchez with about a ten second gap in the final two kilometres. This last big is completely flat.....

4km - Schumacher leads the chase from the main bunch, but Sanchez is really powering down this tricky descent! Marzio BRUSEGHIN is leading the chase from the second group, but it looks like they will not get to contest this finish.

6km - Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) has gone off of the front with Luis Sanchez (Caisse D'Epargne) following. Caisse D'Epargne working at the front of the yellow jersey group to keep some distance to the second chase group, which include Thor Hushovd.

9km - Pereiro is really digging, as is Piepoli while Schumacher has just started to slip back. De La Fuente is going to take the points and the polka dot jersey for the third time in his career. Sanchez claims second in the points from Pereiro.

9.8km - Stefan Schumacher gives a bit of a dig. Looks like he wants the yellow jersey back. 2006 Tour victor Oscar Pereiro follows on his wheel, as does a Liquigas rider. The German does not look like he's going to ride away from the bunch.

10km - No attacks from the peloton yet, and this is a monster. Jens Voigt is slipping back as is his CSC team-mate Kurt-Asle ARVESEN. Both men slip off of the back.

13km - Some more expert predictions from our commentators: Carlton Kirby likes Oscar Freire. Sean Kelly likes Riccardo Ricco to do the double and David Harmon is the only one with the guts to predict a lone break-away, tipping Samuel Sanches to survive that short, killer Cat. 3 climb and then descend to glory: "he is a demon descender and is going to take the mantle of 'El Falco' when Paolo Savoldelli retires."

17km - Most of the sprinters are in a second peloton that lost some serious time on the yellow jersey group after that last climb.

20km - Gap down to 1'05.

24km - Doh! Astarloza is drawn back in. Bad news for the old Fantasy Team.

28km - P.S. Chavanel's four-man group is now nine minutes off pace. HA!

36km - At a very sharp and dangerous corner, David De La Fuente nearly crashes! His confidence is shattered on that very fast descent and he loses tons of time on his former fellow escapees. Another rider, Van Summeren, does actually crash when he hits that very steep, sharp righthand turn on a corner! He will try to get back to the peloton as De La Fuente will have to try to catch the escape group.

41km - Our friend Major Jose has written in with his prediction today: "Alejandro Valverde will be a bit conservative somewhat today but at the end he will be victorious. This route has his name all over it! He will position himself in a key decisive position in the overall classification." Not a bad call Major Jose. I like Valverde, or one of the other one day guys like Cancellara.

43km - British cyclist Tonny Gibb is our studio guest today, and wouldn't you know that it's his birthday which means more free cake! We've probably had enough today, but if Stephen Roche goes for more we'll feel justified in joining him.

44km - Did we mention you could win a Flatscreen TV by playing our Fantasy Game? Mmmm. That's good shamelessness.

45km - Gap to the four riders is up to two minutes as they move within four kilometres of the summit of this climb.

48km - We're hitting the base of the Cat. 2 Pas de Peyrol (7,8km at 6,2%). Columbia have moved to the front of the peloton, with American George Hincapie again taking the lead.

52km - Except for one relatively big name, as we have some breaking news to report! Christophe Moreau (Agritubel), the 37-year-old Frenchman who finished 8th overall two years ago and won last year's Dauphine Libere, has withdrawn along with his compatriot John Gadret (AG2R). Both men suffering a great deal after being dropped on what has been a far more difficult day than we have expected. Already with four withdrawals, including Lilian Jegou who broke his wrist after crashing and was taken off in an ambulance, stage seven has doubled the number of abandonees to this Tour.

57km - OVER THE TOP! De La Fuente is going to take the ten points ahead of Jufre, Sanchez, and Nibali. De La Fuente wore the polka dot jersey twice last year after stage two and stage 11, and he could be going for the same strategy of picking up relatively cheap points on Cat. 2 climbs to try to get the mountains jersey back again for a bit this time around. He now has 14 points, which is 13 fewer than Chavanel.

62km - Nibali and David De la Fuente could be looking for some mountain points because they give chase after our leading duo.

65km - Josep JUFRE goes off of the front group for Saunier Duval, trying perhaps to start a true break-away. Caisse D'Epargne's Luis Sanchez stays on his wheel for the time being. We're heading into two successive Cat. 2 climbs shortly.

72km - CSC still is riding at a very high pace at the front of that first peloton, as not all riders have taken food. The gap has already dipped down to 15 seconds though, and it looks like the second group will be able to close the gap. Erik Zabel's Milram team is also doing some of the work to try to rejoin the peloton.

75km - CSC are just powering things at the front of that 25-man lead group. Again, the principal players are as follows: Evans, Cioni, Sastre, Cancellara, Gustov, Schleck, Schleck, Voigt, Valverde, Pereiro, Sanchez, Kirchen, Lovkvist, Pozatto, Kreuziger, Nibali, Kohl, Valjavec, Menchov, Freire, Cobo, Ricco, Vaugrenard, Vande Velde and Millar. The gap is hovering at around 30 seconds, and Damiano Cunego's Lampre boys are being forced to do a lot of the work at the front of the chase group.

81km - What have we gone for at the snack zone you ask? A Mars mini-roll bar that looks quite similar to a Little Debbie snack cake, along with a giant double-chocolate chip cookie. And we have confirmation that Stephen Roche has gone for Toffeepops (toffee filled biscuits) and "lovely Galaxy bars." Sometimes it's better to be a journalist than a cyclist, the former Tour champion is learning.....

85km - The intermediate sprint points at Paulhiac go like this: 1. Freire 6pts 2. Kirchen 4pts 3. Gustov 2pts

88km - If the distance between the front yellow jersey group, and the second chase group is maintained, then Damiano Cunego will again be the big loser today after being trapped in that second group. This could be a wise tactic by some of the race favourites to cost the Lampre man some time, which could come back to haunt him later on.

91km - Luis Sanchez of Caisse D'Epargne launched a mini-attack when the junction was made.

93km - Columbia riding very hard at the front of that yellow jersey group, with CSC and Rabobank riders on their tails. Euskaltel are leading the second group, who are quickly closing the gap back to the yellow jersey bunch. Hincapie is really pushing things, as are a few of the Caisse D'Epargne riders.

97km - Damiano Cunego was struggling at the back of the peloton and he was involved in a crash near the back of the peloton!

100km - Steve Jones asks: "That Category 3 climb of Cote de Saint-Jean near the end of today's Stage at Aurillac looks quite vicious. Is it?" There are only nine kilometres from that climb to the finish line, and yes it is quite nasty with an average gradient of about 9.9 percent throughout.

104km - A lot of you writing in asking who won yesterday's "Guess the Cav!" contest. Our closest guesser was Gil Nacario, who came in within just two places of Mark Cavendish's finish with a guess of 166.

106km - Benoit Vaugrenard joins the five escapees on the descent. As some of you predicted earlier, Jens Voigt is right there. David Millar also in there.

108km - Five riders Millar, Voigt, Florencio, Barredo and Scholz attack on this climb!

113km - The intermediate sprint at SAINT-FLOUR: 1. Robert Hunter (AFS/Barloworld) 6 pts / 2. Robbie McEwen (AUS/Silence-Lotto) / 3. Thor Hushovd (NOR/Crédit Agricole).

120km - Damiano Cunego talked to us before today's stage about his expectations today and his struggles yesterday: "It was difficult for me frankly. I lost the drive at the end of yesterday's climb and lost 30 seconds on the leaders. It wasn't just the heat, I just didn't hit the rhythm yesterday, it was difficult for everybody, but there were many opportunities for me to find my form just before the climb. It is hilly out there today, and there will be breakaways, but we'll see."

122km - Credit Agricole are working for the bonus points at the intermediate sprint Saint-Flour. They will try to get the Norwegian star some of those bonus points. Kichen currently owns both the yellow and green jerseys, with Hushovd having lost his green jersey to the Columbia man yesterday. The Norwegian is now second in the standings trailing by nine points.

124km - And the escape is caught.

126km - The predictions are just streming in. Marky Mark Cherry in Leicester writes: "Could be a day for everyones favourite German Jens Voigt today if he's still there at the last climb, though he may have a go before that. Otherwise I reckon Moncoutie, Dessel or Moreau may have a go a long way out if the peleton lets them." Great name Mark.

131km - At the front of the peloton two teams are doing most of the work: Bouygues Telecom, who are riding for Thomas Voeckler (who lost his polka dot jersey to Sylvain Chavanel yesterday but is still even with his compatriot on points) and the yellow jersey Kim Kirchen's Columbia team.

139km - One rider John Gadret (AG2R La Mondiale), was dropped on the first ascent, but has worked his way back into the peloton already.

145km - KM 12,5 : Five men make a move but are caught. Then 15 more men try, and are just as easily caught. Still no successful attacks to report.

148km - Meanwhile, eight men have made a move out of the peloton near the end of this climb.

148km - Felix takes a funny look into the mad life of yesterday's stage winner Ricardo Ricco in his Blazin' Saddles blog today: "It is easy to see why so many riders allegedly despise Ricco, a brash, bleached blond with a tattoo of a cobra on one arm and, perhaps self-referentially, a boy proffering his middle finger on the other. The cobra tattoo mirrors Ricco's much feted nickname, which came about following his one-time boast of Muhammad Ali proportions: "Before I attack, I look into the eyes of the other riders to hypnotize them with fear. Like a Cobra."

148km - We already have our first comment of the day. Karem Sefa writes: "I don't think any breakaway group can last till finish. The peloton will catch them before the last climb. however if someone attacks solo on that climb, he can last till finish. especially if they can descend fast." What do you think is going to happen today, and who do you think is going to be the beneficiary? Email jstahl@eurosport.com

153km - The peloton begins the climb up the Côte de Fraisse (4,5km long at an average gradient of 4,4%). No moves just yet.

158km - And we've got our day's first attack! It's the Frenchman Christophe Moreau (Agritubel), who suffered quite a bit of time lost yesterday ! He is followed by the American William Frischkorn (Garmin Chipotle), who was involved in that long successful breakaway in stage three.

159km - Our reporters caught up with new yellow jersey Kim Kirchen ahead of today's stage. Here's what he had to say: "I worked a lot for the green jersey in the first few days. I was always close to the yellow jersey, and yesterday it worked for me which was great. I'm delighted to be in a yellow and I think we will be able to defend it over the next couple of days."

159km - AND THEY'RE OFF!! today's start is given at 13:10 local time (12:10 BST).

----- - Welcome to LIVE text comments and timing of today's 159 kilometre seventh stage from Brioude to Aurillac. Full coverage of another day in the mountains begins from 12:20 British Standard Time.