On paper, stage nine of the Tour de France was supposed to be a calm day for Mathieu van der Poel. He had already had a stellar race securing a stage win, finishing second in another, and wearing the yellow jersey twice. With so much already accomplished, the flat route to Châteauroux appeared to offer a well-earned breather.
But that’s not how van der Poel races. Known for his long-range aggression, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider attacked as soon as the flag dropped in Chinon. He immediately broke away from the peloton and spent 173 of the 174 kilometers out front, mostly alongside teammate Jonas Rickaert.
Their bold move came to an end just 700 meters from the finish, when the chasing pack finally caught them. With the stage back on script, Tim Merlier won the sprint, marking his second victory of this year’s race. Van der Poel, spent from the effort, rolled across the line in 68th place.
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