2025 Tour de France Stage 9 Report: The ninth stage of the 2025 Tour de France was dominated by Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Deceuninck) all day, but was won by Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step). The 175 kilometre stage to Châteauroux looked to be a typical sprinter’s stage, but the Alpecin-Deceuninck duo attacked and made the stage a lot more exciting, right up to the finish line. Van der Poel was eventually caught 700 metres out, after which Merlier was the fastest ahead of Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto).
The final K of stage 9
Stage 9 profile
Race director, Christian Prudhomme: “The teams banking on a bunch sprint won’t be hampered by any hilly terrain as they focus on their mission for the day. Vigilance will be required at the end of the stage due to the changes in direction that could be exploited if there’s a strong wind blowing. However, “Avenue Cavendish” is one of those finish straights that’s ideally suited to a contest between the peloton’s most renowned thoroughbreds.”
The start of another (probable) sprinter’s stage
A thrilling stage 9 of the Tour de France 2025 was covered at 50.0km/h, with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and the peloton battling through the wind, eventually saw Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) sprint to victory in Châteauroux. After spending the whole stage at the front, Van der Poel was caught inside the last kilometre, and the Belgian sprinter ultimately got the better of Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) on the line. He succeeds Mark Cavendish, winner of the last three Tour stages finishing in Châteauroux (2008, 2011 and 2021). With Merlier’s win in Dunkirk and Remco Evenepoel’s in Caen, this is Soudal Quick-Step’s third success in the 2025 Tour. The last time they grabbed that many was in 2021. That year, their third win also came in Châteauroux, thanks to Cavendish. Monday won’t be a rest day, as fireworks are expected on 14 July with a climbing-packed route through the Massif Central.
Alpecin-deceuninck had Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert up the road for most of the day
Unsurprisingly João Almeida had to abandon due to his injuries
Back to back opportunities for the sprinters? After Jonathan Milan’s success in Laval, a flat course of 174.1km with 1,400m of climbing takes the peloton form Chinon to Châteauroux, aka “Cavendish City” after the Manx missile claimed three of his record 35 stage wins here, including his first, back in 2008.
It’s the Tour de France so there has to be a sunflower’s photo
MvdP changes the script
Alpecin-Deceuninck disrupted the expected scenario as Jonas Rickaert attacked as soon as the peloton pass km 0. He was joined at the front by his leader Mathieu van der Poel. The Flying Dutchman took 20 points at the intermediate sprint (24.2km). At that point, the peloton trailed by 3:45 under the guidance of Lidl-Trek. he lead duo did’t wait for them.
A strange move, but a full day on the TV
The gap hit a maximum of 5:35 when the race reached Châtellerault (46.2km), hometown of a modern hero of the Tour, Sylvain Chavanel, who holds the record for most participations (18 consecutive, from 2001 until 2008). In the bunch, a crash involved sprinters like Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers), Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) and Pavel Bittner (Team Picnic PostNL).
Georg Zimmermann had a terrible crash, but managed to regain the peloton
Merlier rules a thrilling finale
Rickaert and Van der Poel accelerate again in the second hour – 50.5kph In the peloton, Uno-X Mobility lend a hand to Lidl-Trek. And the wind causes several accelerations that prove too much for Joao Almeida (UAE Emirates XRG), who was forced to retire a couple of days after his crash en route to Mûr-de-Bretagne on stage 7.
Was it going to be another day for Milan?
With 10K to go, Van der Poel and Rickaert still had 50 seconds
Visma | Lease a Bike put the hammer down on a wind-exposed section with 33 kilometres to go. The bunch exploded, but the situation settled down again. These accelerations brought the gap down to 55 seconds with 20 kilometres to go. The peloton slowed down and the gap went back up to 1:20 into the last 15 kilometres.
Van der Poel went solo, but it wasn’t to be
A perfect power sprint for Tim Merlier
The battle was brutal and Rickaert was done with 6 kilometres to go. Van der Poel was still 30 seconds ahead at that point. He was eventually caught inside the last kilometre (700 Meters). Jonathan Milan smashed the pedals, just like he did in Laval, but this time, he was beaten by Tim Merlier, claiming Soudal Quick-Step’s third win in this year’s Tour.
Merlier got the better of the green jersey, Jonathan Milan
Stage winner, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): “It was quite okay in the bunch today but with the echelons attempts in the finale, I didn’t get any drink in the last 60 kilometres, so I was a bit overheated. Apart from that, it was quite okay today although it was nervous. Five minutes and a half was a lot and the pace was quite high. So we participated in the chase. Even Remco [Evenepoel] chipped in. He was really strong. Normally, I help him. But in situations like that, he doesn’t feel the legs and he can move up easily. We tried to protect each other as much as possible in the echelons but I guess he helped me more today than the other way around! He was really disappointed yesterday after my puncture. There’s a great atmosphere in the team and it pays off. In the last two kilometres, I found Bert [Van Lerberghe] again, and I’m really confident when I’m on his wheel. I know what he’s gonna do and it makes me relax. I got boxed in a bit but then I managed to go all in and I was able to do my sprint like I wanted to and I’m happy to win my second stage here. It’s the second time I manage to beat Milan but he’s a really strong sprinter. It’s just nice we can show a nice battle between the two of us.”
The yellow jersey, Tadej Pogačar, finished with all the other top GC men
Stage 10 is a mountain stage on Bastille Day: Seven Cat 2 climbs for 4,400 metres of climbing for the day. The final climb to Le Mont-Dore is 3.5km, averaging 8%
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Tour de France Stage 9 Result:
1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 3:28:52
2. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek
3. Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto
4. Pavel Bittner (CZ) Team Picnic PostNL
5. Paul Penhoët (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
6. Biniam Girmay Hailu (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty
7. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
8. Jordi Meeus (Bel) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
9. Stian Edvardsen-Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
10. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck.
Tour de France Overall After Stage 9:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Emirates XRG in 33:17:22
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:54
3. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 1:11
4. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Team Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:17
5. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Team Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:34
6. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 1:46
7. Oscar Onley (GB) Team Picnic PostNL at 2:49
8. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 3:02
9. Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 3:06
10. Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek at 3:43.
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