Stage 9 Chinon - Châteauroux (174.1km)
Who will ascend to Mark Cavendish's crown?
The ninth stage in the 2025 Tour de France also breathes sprinting, as the riders race in a flat stage of 170 kilometers from Chinon - where King Charles VII of France resided in the eponymous Château de Chinon - to sprint hotspot Châteauroux. If we don't get a mass sprint here, all sprint teams might as well take the train home. About the course of this stage, we can be brief. It's a flat line in an easterly direction to Châteauroux, without noteworthy hills. The only danger on Sunday lies in the wind, but only if the wind is right.
It's notable that the ASO has chosen this setup. Because most cycling enthusiasts worldwide are free on Sunday, there's often an attractive stage or an iconic mountain stage to see. None of this on the second Sunday of this race: we're normally always going to sprint. That was already the case the first time the Tour visited Châteauroux in 1998, when sprinter Mario Cipollini raised his hands in victory there.
But the finish place Châteauroux especially has plenty of Mark Cavendish history. In 2008, he achieved his first stage victory in the Tour de France here, after which he also won here in 2011 and 2021. Cavendish did all that on the Avenue de la Châtre, where the finish is again located. One certainty is that Cavendish won't win here again in 2025: he retired after his historic 35th stage victory, which he achieved in last year's Tour. Now it's up to the Tim Merliers, Jonathan Milans, Jasper Philipsens, or one of the other speed demons.
| Date | Sunday 13 July |
| Start |  Chinon |
| Finish | Châteauroux |
| Distance | 174.1 km |
| Elevation gain | 1400 m |
| Start time | 13:10 |
| Expected finish | 17:07-17:28 |
Stage 9 Chinon - Châteauroux (174.1km)
Who will ascend to Mark Cavendish's crown?
The ninth stage in the 2025 Tour de France also breathes sprinting, as the riders race in a flat stage of 170 kilometers from Chinon - where King Charles VII of France resided in the eponymous Château de Chinon - to sprint hotspot Châteauroux. If we don't get a mass sprint here, all sprint teams might as well take the train home. About the course of this stage, we can be brief. It's a flat line in an easterly direction to Châteauroux, without noteworthy hills. The only danger on Sunday lies in the wind, but only if the wind is right.
It's notable that the ASO has chosen this setup. Because most cycling enthusiasts worldwide are free on Sunday, there's often an attractive stage or an iconic mountain stage to see. None of this on the second Sunday of this race: we're normally always going to sprint. That was already the case the first time the Tour visited Châteauroux in 1998, when sprinter Mario Cipollini raised his hands in victory there.
But the finish place Châteauroux especially has plenty of Mark Cavendish history. In 2008, he achieved his first stage victory in the Tour de France here, after which he also won here in 2011 and 2021. Cavendish did all that on the Avenue de la Châtre, where the finish is again located. One certainty is that Cavendish won't win here again in 2025: he retired after his historic 35th stage victory, which he achieved in last year's Tour. Now it's up to the Tim Merliers, Jonathan Milans, Jasper Philipsens, or one of the other speed demons.