Mathieu van der Poel claimed stage 9 of the next Tour de France on Sunday. He pushed solo after slipping off the front from the last major split. The stage spanned for roughly two hundred kilometres from either end of the route, with the other end being the either end of the route city.
Tom Pidcock landed in podium place despite a chain hiccup. A small stone wedged in his gears, blocking the gears during the race.
Tadej Pogačar finished inside the front group and grumbled about the heat. The Tour ran into its warmest runs on the rough terrain.
Elsewhere, peloton battled with side gusts across the open plains. One groups attempted cracking the leaders before the last uphill.
By the finish, locals roared the winner loudly. Organisers noted limited disruption on the full route. Forecasters warned further warmth ahead, as the race points northward.
Backroom staff insisted the race verdict shifts the leaderboard ahead of the climbs. Van der Poel kept his modest gap in the points competition. Pidcock climbed several spots on gc despite his misfortune.
Going forward, the field faces a rest day before the décisive mountain block.