After two days dominated by the sprinters, Stage 9 brought the attackers back into the spotlight—and nobody seized the opportunity better than Mathieu van der Poel.
The Dutch superstar produced one of his trademark displays of aggression and tactical brilliance, attacking relentlessly throughout the day before overpowering a select breakaway and finishing the job with a perfectly judged sprint into Ussel. Tobias Halland Johannessen claimed second place, while Tom Pidcock rounded out the podium after an unforgettable day of racing.
Tom Pidcock was feeling frisky right from the start
Heat, Hills and a Perfect Day for the Break
Originally scheduled at 185.5 kilometres, Stage 9 was shortened by 30 kilometres after French authorities issued a red heat warning across the Corrèze region. Even at 155 kilometres, however, the route remained anything but easy.
With four classified climbs and over 3,500 metres of elevation, the stage looked tailor-made for aggressive riders rather than the GC contenders. Riders like Ben Healy, Quinn Simmons and Van der Poel all came to the start with ambitions of making the decisive move.
The parcours featured the Côte de Naves (2.3km at 7.4%), the demanding Suc au May (3.8km at 7.7%), the Côte de la Croix du Pey (4.8km at 6%) and the final sting of Mont Bessou before a rolling run to the finish.
Everything pointed toward an explosive breakaway battle.
Pedersen Banks More Green Jersey Points
The fireworks were delayed by Lidl-Trek.
Instead of allowing attacks from the gun, the American squad controlled the opening kilometres to deliver Mads Pedersen safely to the intermediate sprint in Beynat. The Dane capitalized perfectly, taking maximum points to strengthen his lead in the Green Jersey competition.
Once the sprint was over, the race exploded.
Another safe and comfortable day for maillot jaune Tadej Pogacar
Van der Poel was one of the first riders to attack, launching several moves as the pace immediately lifted. None stuck at first, although a small group featuring Dorian Godon, Julian Alaphilippe, Michel Hessmann, Marco Haller and Xabier Mikel Azparren briefly edged clear before being swept back on the first classified climb.
Sixty Kilometres of Pure Chaos
What followed was one of the fiercest battles for the breakaway seen in this year’s Tour.
Attack after attack was shut down as UAE Emirates-XRG refused to let dangerous riders gain too much freedom. It took nearly 60 kilometres before the elastic finally snapped.
A powerful group eventually escaped containing Van der Poel, Quinn Simmons, Derek Gee, Alex Baudin, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Pablo Castrillo, Ion Izagirre, Tobias Foss, Marc Hirschi, Tobias Halland Johannessen, Lennert Van Eetvelt and several other strong climbers.
Another day of intense heat – Vingegaard sports the KOM maillot pois as second place rider to Pogacar
Then came one more major addition.
Tom Pidcock bridged across alone in a superb solo effort, giving the break yet another dangerous card.
Netcompany Ineos missed the break
Van der Poel Turns Up the Pressure
The escape never enjoyed complete freedom.
UAE Emirates-XRG, led primarily by Tim Wellens and Felix Großschartner, kept the gap hovering around a minute despite none of the attackers posing an immediate threat to Tadej Pogačar’s Yellow Jersey.
As the race hit the steep slopes of the Suc au May, the front group began to splinter.
Pidcock, Derek Gee and Lennert Van Eetvelt briefly accelerated, while Simmons and Johannessen found themselves caught between groups as cooperation broke down.
Then Van der Poel took matters into his own hands.
On gradients that traditionally don’t suit him, the Dutchman unleashed a devastating acceleration, personally closing dangerous gaps before reducing the lead group to just a handful of riders. His combination of raw power and determination transformed what had been a large breakaway into an elite selection.
One Final Attack
Behind, UAE Emirates and INEOS continued to organize the chase, while former escapees Quinn Simmons and Derek Gee eventually found themselves helping pace the peloton for Mads Pedersen’s sprint ambitions.
At the front, Van der Poel sensed the moment.
On the final climb of Mont Bessou he exploded once more, shattering what remained of the break. Only Tobias Halland Johannessen, Tom Pidcock and Alex Baudin were able to respond as the quartet launched into the final 25 kilometres.
Pidcock briefly looked in danger after a mechanical scare, but quickly recovered to rejoin the leaders.
From there, the four worked together flawlessly while the chasing peloton closed steadily behind.
Van der Poel Finishes It Off
With 15 kilometres remaining, the gap remained dangerously slim, but the four leaders refused to crack.
As the uphill finishing straight came into view, Van der Poel moved confidently to the front, refusing to leave anything to chance. He opened the sprint early, forcing the others to react.
Johannessen latched onto his wheel but never found a way past.
Pidcock fought hard for third, while Van der Poel crossed the line with arms raised after one of the most complete performances of this year’s Tour—a victory built not just on speed, but on relentless attacking, tactical intelligence and sheer strength.
Sometimes the strongest rider wins.
On Stage 9, there was absolutely no doubt who that was.
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