This ninth stage between Chinon and Châteauroux was in our top 5 nap. 174.1 kilometers without the slightest difficulty, an arrival avenue de la Châtre won three times the best sprinter in history, the neo-retired Mark Cavendish (2008, 2011, 2021) and especially the next day, the terrible stage of the central massif on the program, with an arrival at Mont-Dore and strong heat. In short, you had to be unconscious or dreamy to try to escape. Technical director of the race, Thierry Gouvenou had been in painted against the lack of show of the stage disputed the day before and won by Jonathan Milan, it is still the runners who race and we cannot blame them to give themselves up a little free wheel after a week led to 1000 per hour.
The only runner in the world to thwart the plans of Tadej Pogacar this year
Fortunately for the tour, this year, there is MVDP, Mathieu Van der Poel, the only runner in the world to upset the plans of Tadej Pogacar this year. The grandson of Raymond Poulidor has already won a stage (the second), carried twice the yellow jersey but he was not satisfied. While the mountain stages are looming, the punmer-router took the escaper powder with his teammate and friend of Alpecin, the Belgian Jonas Rickaert from the zero kilometer. “I thought he was joking, but he was serious. So we continued. “The latter explained to our colleagues at Eurosport. The rest? A crazy epic in the middle of the sunflower fields with Rickaert in luxury hare (or in Derny motorcycle, note) to propel the former world champion to the finish line. The plan almost worked perfection, Mathieu Van der Poel was not taken up 700 meters from the goal. But in the end, it was a sprinter who won, the Belgian Tim Merlier…