Favorites stage 9 Tour de France 2025 | Flat stage tomorrow, perfect setting for the next Milan–Merlier battle?

The start is in Chinon, which will be a magnificent sight. The city is situated on the Vienne River and is known for its beautiful castle, located on a hill above the city. It was the castle of King Charles VII of France, who was visited here by Joan of Arc in 1429. That's enough French history before July 14!

Those who were hoping for a difficult ninth stage can turn off the TV: there are no categorized climbs on the way to the finish in Châteauroux. With 1,000 meters of elevation gain, it could well be that we won't see an early breakaway for the second day in a row. The only thing that could make the start nervous is the intermediate sprint 23 kilometers after the start. The riders are already battling for it in every stage.

Until that sprint in La Belle Indienne, the race was heading south, but now it's turning east. Not many turns, not many meters of elevation gain: it's a fairly straightforward route until the finish. Once past the town of Buzançais, the route turns southeast again, and then the wind, which will be blowing at an angle, may come into play.

The same applies about 20 kilometers later when the riders make the last sharp turn towards Châteauroux. It is a straight road until deep into the final. Once at the finish, there are three turns in the last five kilometers, and the final straight is 1.5 kilometers long: it seems like a recipe for a neat, simple sprint finish. Looks can be deceiving, but let's hope it's a stage without too many incidents.

Times
Start: 1:25 PM local time (07:25 AM EDT)
Finish: 5:15 PM local time (11:15 AM EDT)

A day similar to the previous days: warm, very warm. Up to 32 degrees in the middle of France, with no chance of rain. Wind force 3 will typically not be a problem, but on open stretches, it will be blowing from the side. There is little chance of echelons forming, but who knows.

Well, with two flat stages, it makes sense that we'll be writing down the same names twice. So we're mainly looking at Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek). The two rivals will be the top favorites at every flat finish, and if you look at their results, that's not surprising at all. Milan wants to win for the second time in a row, while Merlier is looking for revenge after missing out last time.

In addition to the two super sprinters, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) should also be noted. He is not generally at his best on a super flat finish, such as in Châteauroux, but he has already finished in the top 10 several times. Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) has also been on the podium before, as has Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious). This trio was unable to compete on Saturday, but Sunday offers them another chance.

As for Dutch hopes, we can certainly focus on Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla), but perhaps also on Dutch champion Danny van Poppel. That depends on whether his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe teammate Jordi Meeus will be able to sprint after his heavy crash earlier in the race. So far, he has avoided the action. Israel-Premier Tech also has two fast men, Pascal Ackermann and Jake Stewart.

At Alpecin-Deceuninck, following Jasper Philipsen's withdrawal, the focus shifts to Kaden Groves. At Picnic PostNL, it remains to be seen whether Pavel Bittner or Tobias Lund Andresen will sprint, although it seems that the flat finishes are more suited to the Czech rider. Other contenders include Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ), Alberto Dainese (Tudor), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto), and Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels). And should we also consider Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) now, given his second-place finish on Saturday? Maybe not on the ultra-flat finish, but why not?  

Top favorites: Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Outsiders: Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X) and Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL)