Tour de France 2025 Stage 9: Chinon to Châteauroux – Sprinters Eye Glory

Tour de France 2025 Stage 9: Chinon to Châteauroux – Sprinters Eye Glory

Stage 9 of the Tour de France 2025 serves up a 174.1-kilometre route tailor-made for the sprinters. Running from Chinon to Châteauroux, there’s barely a hill in sight, and the day is expected to end in a high-speed bunch sprint. It's also a symbolic finish — Châteauroux is where Mark Cavendish began his record-setting stage win count back in 2008. Now, a new generation of sprinters will battle on that same historic tarmac.

The Tour de France 2025 Stage 9 profile features just 1,400 metres of elevation — almost negligible for WorldTour professionals. There are no categorized climbs. Instead, the focus will be on controlling the race for a mass sprint on Avenue de la Châtre, a road where Cavendish has triumphed three times (2008, 2011, and 2021).

How the Stage Might Unfold

It’s unlikely that a breakaway will go the distance today. The sprinters’ teams will be motivated, and the stage offers no terrain to disrupt a controlled chase. Expect riders like Mathieu van der Poel to play the role of leadout expert again, possibly setting up Jasper Philipsen or Kaden Groves if they’re back in the mix.

The run-in to Châteauroux is largely straight, with the final 16 kilometres offering a dream scenario for sprint trains. The only complication? Two tight corners with 2 km to go, including a final right-hander onto the finishing straight. Positioning will be crucial.

Favourite Watch

After wins for Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan earlier in this Tour, those two are the obvious frontrunners again. Merlier took Stage 1 with a textbook sprint, while Milan showed both patience and power to edge out Wout van Aert in Stage 8.

Other contenders include:

• Kaden Groves – consistently well-placed and itching for a win.
• Phil Bauhaus – quick, but needs a clean run.
• Dylan Groenewegen – has the pedigree, though hasn't shown top form yet.
• Jordi Meeus and Pascal Ackermann – dark horses, depending on positioning.

Don't count out Wout van Aert either. While not a pure sprinter, he’s shown he can podium even without an ideal launch.

GC Outlook

No major shifts are expected in the general classification today. Tadej Pogacar remains in yellow, with Remco Evenepoel and Kévin Vauquelin still within striking distance. Today is all about survival for the GC contenders — stay safe, conserve energy, and avoid the late crashes.

History Repeats?

If Jonathan Milan or Tim Merlier wins again, we could be witnessing the rise of a new sprint dynasty in a place synonymous with one: Châteauroux. Whether Milan can match Cavendish’s dominance is a long shot, but today's stage win could start a similar journey.

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