TDF 2025: Stage 9: Chinon to Chateauroux, 174.1 KM (108 miles)
Swiss rider Tim Merlier bested Jonathan Milan to the line in Chateauroux today with Arnaud de Lie a close third. It was a dramatic finish after the world witnessed Mathieu van der Pol hold off the peloton for over 173 km, and was caught 1,000 meters to the line. It was Merlier’s second TDF win.
Sprint finish results:
1. Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
2. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
3. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto)
4. Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL)
5. Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ)
After the finish, Milan still leads in the Green Jersey. In the General Classification, the top three leaders keep their position, Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepol, and Kevin Vaukelin.
Howeveer, Matteo Jorgensen moved into 5th place.
Sadly, Joao Almeida of UAE Team Emirates dropped out of the Tour after succumbing to the injuries he sustained in stage 7. His loss may be felt by Pogacar in the mountains, as last year he provided a lot of support in the mountains for his teammate.
An early break by Mathieu Van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert stayed away for 98 percent of the race, with the peloton lagging behind them at some point more than 5 minutes. None of the teams were reacting until they came close to the finish city, Chateauroux. By that time Van der Pol had dropped Rickaerts. But it seemed almost inevitable and despite staying ahead until 1,000 meters to go, Van der Poel was overtaken.
Van der Poel and Rickaert Make a Break
Riders started this flat stage with one short sprint location about 24 km into the stage. After yesterday’s stage, when Jonathan Milan bested his rivals to the sprint finish, predictions for today’s stage focused on Tim Merlier, the Swiss sprinter.
But just a few kilometers after the official start, two Alpecin-Deceuninck riders Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert, took a flyer off the front of the peloton. At 1 min 29 seconds, van der Poel took the virtual lead in the Yellow Jersey. As they reached the only sprint point for the day, Van der Poel went first and got 20 points for the Green Jersey. The peloton was behind by 3 minutes 40 seconds. Behind the breakaway, Jonathan Milan won the intermediate sprint of the peloton ahead of Biniam Girmay, with a 58,6 km/h top speed.
Results of the intermediate sprint (La Belle Indienne, km 24.2)
14:03
8. Coquard, 8 pts
The deficit to the peloton continued to grow with the two Alpecin riders ahead. George Zimmerman (Intermarche-Wanty) crashed and got back on his bike but sought help from the medical car. The peloton was trailing by 5 minutes 30 seconds as the leaders were 106 km from the finish. But the peloton began to pick up the pace, and brought the gap down to five minutes 10 seconds, then 4′ 52″. After 80km, the race leaders had maintained a speed of 47.7 km/hour.
Soon thereafter, race radio announced the abandonment of the Tour by Joao Almeida, second hand man to Tadej Pogacar in the flats and the mountain climbs, and who came in fourth in the GC in the 2024 Tour, a blow to theUAE Team Emirates-XRG. Almeida crashed badly in stage 7, and suffered multiple skin scrapes, injury to his hand, and a badly broken rib.
After 120 km of racing, the peloton increased its pace from an average of 45.3 km/hr to 48 km/hr, as they came closer to “Cavendish City,” Chateauroux. The Manx Missile won the last three Tour stages held in the city, in 2008, 2011 and 2021.
George Zimmerman (Intermarche – Wanty) continued in the stage despite highly visible road rash from his crash earlier. In the last 50 kilometers of the race, the gap to the leaders was down to 2’21”.
The peloton continued to up the pace and soon the gap was down to 1’48”, with more than 35 km to go. Open roads with fields on both sides created a head and cross wind contributed to the loss of a gap by the leaders. Van der Poel was no longer in the virtual lead for the Yellow.
Behind them, Tadej Pogacar helped lead the chase and bring the gap down to 1’15”. With 20 km remaining, the leaders were ahead by 51 seconds–they would not last to the finish, and behind them the peloton was steaming ahead.
A sign right below the entry to Chateauroux, today’s stage finish city says “Cavendish City.” See ASO’s X feed
Says the Amaury Sports Organization, in 2008, a 23-year old Cav’ was participating in his second Tour with Team Columbia and still chasing the first of his record 35 wins. On day 5, the British sprinter got the better of Oscar Freire in Châteauroux, after 232 km of racing from Cholet.
Three years later, in 2011, Cavendish was a dominant force who at the Tour at the helm of HTC-High Road. He won five sprint stages that year, including in Châteauroux on day 7.
The 2021 Tour marked Cavendish’s return to top of the sprint game, five years after his last successes to date in the race. Guided by Michael Morkov and the Deceuninck-Quick Step train, he took four stage wins, including his 32nd in the Tour in Châteauroux (stage 6).
