One of the good things about the Tour de France, is that you can always grab a word with any of the cyclists before the action gets under way.

It may not be the most sophisticated of mixed zones but it does the trick.

Anyway, here is what Tadej Pogacar makes of common-sense racing....

"About racing intelligent or not, it is a nonsense," he said.

"Right now I am in the leader’s jersey so for me that is intelligent to be in the lead with a good gap. In the Tour de France, intelligence is important but you need to have the best legs to win."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Now then, while there may have been no racing over the last 24 hours or so, battle lines have most certainly been drawn between the top three in the general classification.

Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard said he was "riding smart" after second-placed Remco Evenepoel suggested he lacked the nerve to go on the attack, with the Belgian and race leader Tadej Pogacar on stage nine.

The Dane also dismissed Pogacar's assertion he had been "scared" on their pulsating struggle on the gravel roads around Troyes.

"Maybe some people don't understand our tactics but that's their problem," said Vingegaard.

"I'm growing into the race, feeling better every day. I have my plan and I trust it. I'm generally better in the third week. I feel like I have already a high level. Way better than I could have expected after only one and a half months of preparation."

Image source, Getty Images

Now then, the last time a stage at the Tour finished in Saint-Amand-Montrond was 11 years ago and a certain Mark Cavendish was the winner.

The 'Manx Missile' took stage victory 25 on a similarly flat route but on a day when crosswinds lead to the formation of echelons and he managed to escape up the road with the likes of Alberto Contador and Peter Sagan, while that year's overall champion, Chris Froome tried and failed.

It is surely one of the greatest of Cavendish's 35 triumphs at the Tour, can he add a record-extending 36th to his palmares later?

Regardless of whether he does or does not, his exploits in Saint-Vulbas just under a week ago, mean he will be immortalised in the race's history after surpassing Eddy Merckx to become its greatest ever stage winner.

1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 35hrs 42mins 42secs

2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick Step) +33secs

3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 15secs

4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +1mins 36secs

5. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 16secs

6. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 17secs

7. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +2mins 31secs

8. Mikel Landa (Spa/Soudal-Quick Step) +3mins 35secs

9. Derek Gee (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) +4mins 02secs

10. Matteo Jorgenson (US/Visma-Lease a Bike) 4mins 03secs

Image source, Reuters

The jerseys in the Tour de France classifications are yellow for the overall leader, green for the leader in the points standings, polka-dot for the mountain classification, and white for the best young rider.

At present they are held by:

• Tadej Pogacar - yellow jersey
• Biniam Girmay - green jersey
• Jonas Abrahamsen - polka dot jersey
• Remco Evenepoel - white jersey

This is perhaps the very good reason for the all the inaction...apart from the individual time trials today's stage has the lowest elevation gain (959m) in this year's Tour de France.

It's been a very relaxed start to the stage. No real attacks off the front where Astana sit and even Jonas Abrahamsen has not been prepared to put his nose into the wind.

Image source, ASO

There is not a single categorised climb on this parcours, however Saint-Amand-Montrond's exposed roads are notorious for their echelon-marked finales.

If the wind picks up we could be in for an exciting 30km run into the finish line comparable to 2013, when the crosswinds helped scatter the peloton and GC contenders before Mark Cavendish claimed victory.

Read more

Now then if anybody watched stage nine, you'll have seen Aleksandr Vlasov go absolutely flying over his handlebars into a ditch and despite being bloodied and bruised, somehow get up, grab a new bike and finish 25th.

However, the Russian climber is not in the peloton today with Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe team confirming that he has broken his ankle and withdrawn.

Vlasov was 11th place in the general classification and his departure is bad news for team-mate Primoz Roglic, who arrived at the Tour with hopes of winning the yellow jersey.

The 28-year-old played a key role in Roglic's victory at the Criterium du Dauphine earlier this year, but the Slovenian is now without one of his key domestiques with some crucial mountain stages coming up.

Image source, @aleksandr_vlasov

Image source, Getty Images

Is everyone ready to go again after Monday's rest day?

If so, welcome our coverage of stage 10, which sees the race take an 187.3 km route from Orleans to Saint-Amand-Montrond.

Weather permitting (and current forecasts suggest it won't be too blustery), it should surely a day for the Tour's fast men to do battle again.