A place that became synonymous with Mark Cavendish, Châteauroux returns to the Tour de France as the finish of stage 9. It’s where Cavendish took his first Tour win in 2008 and added two more in 2011 and 2021. With the Manxman now retired and no categorised climbs along the way, today is the perfect opportunity for one of the new breed of sprinters to take centre stage.
The route covers 174km from Chinon to Châteauroux and is one of the flattest of this year’s race, with the intermediate sprint coming early at kilometre 24. From there, the sprinter teams will take control and aim to shut down any late attacks before the fast run-in to the line.
The route – smooth roads through the Loire Valley
Stage 9 begins in the heart of the Loire Valley, a region known for its grand châteaux, riverbanks, and wine production. The route from Chinon to Châteauroux traces a gentle south-eastern line across the rolling central French countryside. The roads here are wide and well-surfaced, making for a straightforward day tactically.
There are no categorised climbs, and with a likely tailwind, the pace could be high. The finish into Châteauroux is fast and clean, well suited to a big bunch sprint. While the organisers have included a few direction changes late on in the hope of provoking crosswind splits, the current weather forecast suggests it will take something unusual to break things up.
What’s on offer
Date: Sunday, 13th July
Distance: 174km
Start/Finish: Chinon – Châteauroux
Intermediate sprint:
- La Belle Indienne (km 24.2)
No categorised climbs
Prediction
With no hills to worry about and the memory of his mechanical on stage 8 still fresh, we think Tim Merlier will bounce back to claim his second win of the race. The flat run-in into Châteauroux suits him perfectly, and his lead-out train at Soudal Quick-Step has already proven they can deliver him to the line.
