Tour de France Stage 9 preview: Breakaway hunters eye hilly run

A shortened stage packed with rolling climbs should favour aggressive attackers and make for an interesting day The post Tour de France Stage 9 preview: Breakaway hunters eye hilly run appeared first on Canadian Cycling Magazine .

We are already nine days into the Tour! That means the first rest day is coming up, but first a route that looks parfait for a breakaway. Sunday’s 154.6-km ride from Malemort to Ussel has been shortened because of the ongoing heat wave, but it still packs nearly 3,000 m of climbing and offers little encouragement for the pure sprinters.

The climbs The opening kilometres roll constantly before the race reaches a trio of classified climbs. You’ve got the Côte de Naves, Suc au May and Côte de la Croix du Pey. None are terribly long, but together they should wear down the peloton and create the perfect conditions for attacks.

Especially if the GC riders are content to burn as few matches as possible. But still, those going for the overall need to pay attention. Stages like today can be unpredictable, and you’ve got to be near the front.

The big moves may not come until later. Mont Bessou, around 24 km from the finish, ramps up at roughly eight per cent. Then, another gradual climb into Meymac.

Even the run into Ussel includes a final uphill drag that could split any reduced group still together. It should be an interesting finale. Favourites

So since the overall contenders are most likely not going to battle for significant time gains, a large breakaway seems like the play of the day. Mathieu van der Poel remains one of the biggest names to watch despite a quiet opening week. The Dutch star has hinted his form is improving after helping lead out teammate Jasper Philipsen.

Stage 9 suits him if he’s feeling spicy. What about three-time U.S champ Quinn Simmons? Lidl-Trek have additional options in Mathias Vacek and even green jersey contender Mads Pedersen if he can hang on over the climbs.

Hey, maybe even Osgoode, Ont.’s Derek Gee-West? Tom Pidcock could use a good day–he’s also been pretty quiet thus far.

If the pace on the climbs proves even tougher, stronger climbers like Ben Healy or Georg Zimmermann could seize the opportunity instead. Yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar will probably just chill today (probably?) as there are some big days coming up.

He has a pretty decent gap on Jonas Vingegaard, but the way he’s going, that may well get even bigger. The good news for riders who are already suffering is the stage will be a little shorter. Why?

The heat. It’s scorching in most of Europe. Brutal temps have prompted Tour de France organizers to alter Sunday’s Stage 9 route, trimming 30 kilometres from the course between Malemort and Ussel.

The ASO said the change comes after French authorities issued a “Red alert” for extreme heat in the Corrèze region. You can watch Stage 9 on Flobikes.com , and as always, check back on Canadian Cycling Magazine for a report. Affiliate links present.

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