Sunday’s Tour de France continued with one of the most anticipated stages in advance, with the 182.4km ninth stage between Saint-Léonard-des-Nobles and Puy-de-Dôme being a mountain finish, the Special Category, at 1,475m above sea level. Puy de Dome, a 13.3-kilometer climb with a gradient of 7.7 percent.
Before the stage, Danish champion Jonas Wengard (Jumbo-Visma) topped the overall standings, 25 seconds ahead of Slovenian Tadezh Pogakar (Emirati Team Emirates), who will win the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021, and they had already played each other on two mountain stages in a competition this year. First, the Dane and then the Slovenian were better, and we can guess that they will not reach the finish line at the same time either.
It had to be folded here:
It turned out, as we calculated, and the two main favorites did not care that Canadian Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) won the stage from the group of defectors, he is generally not dangerous for them. Australian Guy Hendley (Bora-Hansgrohe), who was third in the group of contenders, broke away early in the final kilometres, as fans were not allowed on the narrow road. There was a kilometer and a half left when Pogacar started, and only Vingaard could follow, but the Slovenian’s pace was too much for him.
However, Pogacar could not defeat him, he managed only eight seconds behind, and Vingegaard could still wear the well-deserved famous yellow jersey and lead the overall standings. But his advantage is only seventeen seconds.
Tour de France, stage 9, Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat-Puy de Dome, 182.4km, mountain finish:
1. Michael Woods (Canada, Israel-Premier Tech) 4:19:41
2. Pierre Latour (France, TotalEnergies) is 28 seconds behind
3. Matej Mohorik (Slovenia, Bahrain victorious) 35 seconds.
… 13. Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia, UAE National Team) 8:19 min late
14. Jonas Vinggaard (Denmark, Jumbo-Visma) 8:27 a.m.
… 19. Guy Hindley (Australian, BORA-hansgrohe) 9:33AM.
The leading group in the complex:
1. Jonas Vingaard 38:37:46 hours
2. Tadezh Pogacar is 17 seconds behind
3. Guy Hindley 2:40 min
After Monday’s rest day, the 110th Tour de France field will complete the 167.2km distance between Vulcania and Issoire on Tuesday. The competition ends on July 23rd on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.
Cover image: The Tour de France field will have a rest day on Monday (Source: Twitter/Tour de France)
