TDF 9

Tour de France 2025: Tim Merlier Sprints to Victory in Thrilling Stage 9

Stage 9 of the 2025 Tour de France, a 174.1 km flat stage from Chinon to Châteauroux on Sunday, July 13, was anything but predictable. Despite its sprinter-friendly profile, high temperatures, crosswinds, and a daring breakaway by Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert kept the peloton on edge. Belgium’s Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) clinched his second stage win of the Tour, powering through a chaotic sprint to beat Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto).

Key Highlights

• Van der Poel and Rickaert attacked from the start, holding off the peloton until just 740 meters remained, making it one of the most aggressive stages of the 2025 Tour.
• Crosswinds and scorching heat turned the stage into a high-speed battle, clocking an average speed of 50.013 km/h—the second-fastest road stage in Tour history.
• Route designer Thierry Gouvenou praised the riders’ aggression, a stark contrast to the previous day’s calmer Stage 8.

Stage 9 Results

• 1. Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
• 2. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
• 3. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto)
• 4. Pavel Bittner (Team Picnic PostNL)
• 5. Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ)

General Classification After Stage 9

Tadej Poga?ar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) retains the yellow jersey, followed by Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels). Jonas Vingegaard and Matteo Jorgenson (both Visma-Lease a Bike) round out the top five, setting the stage for a pivotal first mountain stage on Bastille Day, Monday, July 14.

As the Tour heads into the mountains, expect the GC battle to heat up. Stay tuned for more action from the 2025 Tour de France!