Stage 9 Hilly/Gravel

TROYES > TROYES

Sunday, 7 July | 199km | Start: 12:35 Finish: 17:00

A stage not to be missed by spectators, but one fraught with risk for the peloton, with 14 gravel sectors to be tackled.

Today’s route

The origins of this route can be traced back to 2022, the year the Tour de France Femmes was reborn. On stage four of the race, the women’s peloton rode across four lots of white roads, with Marlen Reusser eventually taking the win.

For the men this year the challenge is even greater, with 14 gravel sections totalling 32km to be tackled over the course of today's circular route – albeit with different start and finish locations in the city of Troyes. The first half of the stage is a little hillier, but the four fourth-category climbs will be inconsequential compared to the gravel sectors and the fight for position that will inevitably happen before each one. The final half-a-dozen gravel sectors are all grouped together in just 24km and it’s a day for constant attentiveness and high tension.

When the route was announced, Visma-Lease a Bike’s boss, Richard Plugge, said, “Gravel, for me, is not necessary in a race such as this,” and Soudal-Quick Step’s always outspoken boss Patrick Lefevere simply said: “I’m not a fan of it.”

The reason for their disdain is clear: a stage like this – ditto when the Tour traverses the Paris-Roubaix cobbles – can severely dent a rider’s overall ambitions, with a badly timed mechanical or slip on the uneven surface often proving more damaging than a bad day in the mountains.

What to expect

When the TdF Femmes undertook a varied version of this stage two years ago, the differences between the overall contenders were minimal, and on a similar-looking course at the Giro d’Italia this May, time gaps were nil.

But today is a unique opportunity for GC riders confident of their abilities to put their team-mates on the front and their rivals under pressure. Splits are likely to occur, and as soon as they do those at the front will seize the opportunity to push on and open up the gaps. Speed will be high not only over the gravel but in the approach to each section as the stronger teams get their leader to the front and maintain a high pace to keep them there. A break is still likely to go clear, and perhaps a large one. That group, as well as the peloton, will then fragment later in the stage.

Keep an eye on the weather forecast, as wind and rain will only heighten the risk and therefore the tension in the bunch. When that happens, time gaps can be significant.

Riders to watch

Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) triumphed on the dirt paths of Tro-Bro Léon in May – winning a pig in the process (it’s worth a