Tour de France 2019: Impey bests Benoot in sprint-à-deux, Alaphilippe still in yellow

The Tour serves a hilly race on the ninth day. Tiesj Benoot and Daryl Impey are the survivors of the early break in the streets of Brioude. The South-African outguns the Flemish rider in a two-up sprint, while the main group finishes more than 15 minutes later. Julian Alaphilippe stays in the GC lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 9th stage Tour de France 2019

1. Daryl Impey (rsa)
2. Tiesj Benoot (bel) s.t.
3. Jan Tratnik (slo) + 0.10
4. Oliver Naesen (bel) s.t.
5. Jasper Stuyven (bel) s.t.
6. Nicolas Roche (irl) + 0.14
7. Marc Soler (spa) + 0.21
8. Iván Gárcia (spa) + 1.50
9. Simon Clarke (aus) s.t.
10. Anthony Delaplace (fra) + 2.42

GC after stage 9
1. Julian Alaphilippe (fra)
2. Giulio Ciccone (ita) + 0.23
3. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 0.53
4. George Bennett (nzl) + 1.10
5. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 1.12
6. Egan Bernal (col) + 1.16
7. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 1.27
8. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 1.38
9. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 1.42
10. Emanuel Buchmann (ger) + 1.45

11. Enric Mas (spa) + 1.46
12. Adam Yates (gbr) + 1.47
14. Nairo Quintana (col) + 2.04
15. Mikel Landa (spa) + 2.06
16. Daniel Martin (irl) + 2.09
18. Richie Porte (aus) + 2.19
19. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 2.45
23. Romain Bardet (fra) + 3.20

Race report
At kilometre 15 a group of 14 riders break free: Impey, Boasson Hagen, Benoot, Naesen, Stuyven, Martin (Tony), Pöstlberger, Roche, Rowe, García, Herrada, Clarke, Sicard and Delaplace. Soler tracks them down on the Mur d’Aurec-sur-Loire.

Pöstlberger goes solo 44 kilometres before the line. He opens up a gap of 45 seconds before Benoot, Tratnik, Naesen, Stuyven, Soler, Impey and Roche open the chase to bring the Austrian back on the Saint-Just climb.

Roche and Benoot push on together, while Impey rejoins them before the top. Roche drops back when Benoot accelerates inside the last 8.5 kilometres. Bardet and Porte strike in the peloton on the Saint-Just, but they are brought back.

Impey outguns Benoot on the line, while Tratnik sprints to third place. The peloton ends a relaxed day with Alaphilippe still in yellow ahead of Ciccone and Pinot.

Another interesting read: route 9th stage 2019 Tour de France.