Mathieu van der Poel claimed stage 9 of the 2026 Tour de France on Sunday. He rode solo after breaking away from the last major split. The stage spanned for 202km from the Loire start, with the other end being the either end of the route city.
Tom Pidcock signed off in the bronze spot even with a machine problem. A small stone stuck in his gears, freezing the gears while racing hard.
Tadej Pogačar crossed the line inside the head of the race and moaned about the warmth. The Tour faced its warmest runs on the harder climbs.
In the same race, riders battled with crosswinds across the flat country. One groups attempted fragmenting the field before the final climb.
Once flagged, locals roared the stage hero with gusto. Officials noted no major crashes on the distance-heavy day. Meteorologists noted more heat ahead, as the race travels south.
Strategists insisted the race verdict reshuffles the gc picture ahead of the punchy terrain. MvdP kept his slim lead in the sprint fight. Pidcock jumped several spots despite his bad luck.
Ahead, the field braces for a transfer before the décisive alpine stretch.