This day's coverage started with the sign-in board again, and today they have blanked out the names, leaving just the numbers, after the confusion of yesterday.
Once again our commentators were rudely interrupted by the appalling and unrealistic travelogue, and poor Magnus Backstedt was chatting away, clearly not aware that we viewers were being forced to see faked pictures of China in the sun, with tinny music, instead of seeing the race and listening to his interesting comments.
Eventually it stopped, and we were presented with a break of five up the road, including De Ghent, he of the "80% pay cut but it's better than nothing so I'm grateful for it". We have no idea whereabouts in the race we are, as we once again have no on-screen graphics at all, so we just watch idly, listening out for coughing in the background - ah, it's Magnus's turn to be coughing today while the miles roll past.
The main climb of the day is a mere 5%, but it's clear that Magnus' earlier comments about riders being tired at the end of the long, long season is true, as even that modest climb splits the lead group of five riders into three groups.
At the summit, we get a sudden flash of a graphic, 47k to go, and they move into a long, sweeping, "easy" descent, which has Magnus drooling and wishing that he were still riding in the peloton, who - lead by BMC - quickly catch three of the original leaders , while the two in front appear to be relaxing, as they are sitting up and the gap is shrinking.
Suddenly - ooh! spectators! In the middle of nowhere, there is a neatly corralled bunch of them, all madly waving pink flags. Maybe it's a business of some kind, way out in the hills? A small commune of very unequal age distribution? A holiday camp? They seem happy, at any rate.
The two leaders are definitely slacking, and Bouet from AG2R, having hoovered up the last of the sprint points, decides he's had enough, and gives Kiesan from Lotto a great big shove on the back, to send him on his way.
We're not entirely sure, judging by the look on his face, that he actually intended to continue with a lone break: it's quite possible that he was hoping to sit up as well? But, with no choice, he pedals gamely off into the distance, while Bouet slows down and drops to the side of the road.
We all know what's coming, but does the camera bike? Apparently not, as we now get a lovely shot of Bouet having a natural break while we, along with Carlton, are shouting at the camera bike to pan away.
A short while later, the much relieved Bouet is swallowed by the peloton - oh look, more natural breaks - and Magnus discusses disc brakes on road bikes, and how they have been around for quite some time, but the UCI rules on bike equipment have lead to a stagnation in development. I could look this up for you in the UCI rules and regs, but frankly I can't bear to have my soul sucked out again, not when dear Brian Cookson is starting to work his way through, getting rid of some of the more ridiculous ones, like the one that states that women's cycling teams have an upper age limit of 28, for example. I will say right here and now that I am not the slightest bit interested in women's cycling, but it's staggering in this day and age that men can ride until they drop, but women have to stop at 28. That's not only sexist, arbitrary and insulting, it's senseless.
Anyway, back to the race... the pace is up, the peloton are flying, poor old Kiesan is going slower and slower. At 10k to go they have him in sight, he looks over his shoulder and sees them approaching, and sags with relief.
The last 4k is just one long big sprint, with various lead-out trains fighting it out: this time, FdJ get it right, and Bouhanni wins it, in full skinsuit and aero helmet, proving the point that the right kit does indeed make a difference!
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