The Tour de France Stage 9 Preview: A Day of Heat and Hills
The Tour de France continues with Stage 9, a 155km route that has been shortened due to the ongoing heat wave. The race starts with a fast and friendly atmosphere, but the heat is a challenge for the riders. The course features a shortened profile, skipping some scenic villages and small roads, and the intermediate sprint comes earlier, but it's still on a climb to Beynat with 2km at 5% to the sprint, giving an advantage to the climbers.
The stage is a hard day out, with several climbs and long drags, making it open to many contenders. The breakaway riders will have a chance to shine, with Liam Slock dropping two companions and having a minute's lead with 10km. The stage will test the sprinters, with the finishing straight being a key moment.
The sprinters to watch include Merlier, who won the stage with a powerful finish, and Girmay, Kooij, and Philipsen, who are consistently ahead of the rest. Merlier's win puts him 15 points short of Mads Pedersen, who has an advantage for the coming days.
The stage features several climbs, including the Suc-au-Mey, a 3km at 10% climb, and the Côte de la Croix du Pey, a 4.8km climb with a 7-9% gradient. The stage also has a final climb, a 2km at 5% with some 10%, making it a challenging finish.
The contenders for the stage include Quinn Simmons, Mads Pedersen, and Mathias Vacek, who are all candidates for the stage. The stage will also test the sprinters, with Ben Healy, Georg Steinhauser, and Michael Valgren bringing more options. Tom Pidcock, 15th on GC, is stage hunting but nursing a saddle sore.
The Movistar pairing of Raul Garcia Pierna and Pablo Castrillo gets hillier roads to suit, while Luke Plapp and Michael Matthews have a shot if they can cope with the climbing. The headline writer's pick is Marco Frigo, whose family name means refrigerator in French.
The outsiders include Alpecin-Premiertech, who might reach for Mathieu van der Poel, and Romain Grégoire, who gets terrain to suit but has been wilting in the heat. Jonas Abrahamsen, a breakaway specialist, is also a contender, but the stage is a hilly day.
The stage will be a test of the riders' endurance and strategy, with the heat and hills making it a challenging day for the Tour de France.
