Tour de France 2025 Favourites stage 9: For fast finishers #4
fotobureau Cor VosChâteauroux has seen Mario Cipollini win once and Mark Cavendish three times. A clear hint at the kind of sprinter likely to be celebrating at the line.
(Slideshow route/profile)
Cipollini triumphed in 1998 in Châteauroux, while Cavendish came out on top in 2008, 2011 and 2021. Who will be the next to add their name to this illustrious and admittedly short list? A sprinter, no doubt. There’s hardly any elevation to speak of on the route.
The sprint trains will have plenty of time to hit full speed in the final 16 kilometres, as the road is perfectly straight. That said, two sharp corners within 500 metres await with 2 kilometres to go. The second swings right onto the Avenue de la Châtre, leaving 1.5 kilometres of flat-out effort to the line.
In the first bunch sprint of this Tour, Merlier edged out Milan; in the second, it was the Italian's turn to hit the jackpot.
Favourites 9th stage 2025 Tour de France
*** Tim Merlier, Jonathan Milan
** Kaden Groves, Dylan Groenewegen, Phil Bauhaus, Jordi Meeus
* Wout van Aert, Biniam Girmay, Arnaud De Lie, Pascal Ackermann, Søren Wærenskjold
Another interesting read: route 9th stage 2025 Tour de France.
