Summary

  • Stage nine: Troyes - Troyes, 199km

  • GC battle under way on route containing 14 gravel sections

  • Tadej Pogacar wears the leader's yellow jersey

Live Reporting

  1. Tadej Pogacar opens up again...but is quickly shut down.

  2. Jasper Stuyven is off. The Belgian accelerates clear of the leading group to go solo and takes six, seven and noe eight seconds...

  3. Surely it is now or never if Mathieu van der Poel is chasing a stage in here? The Dutch world champion is still 43 seconds adrift of the leaders.

  4. Anthony Turgis is attacking up the road... Derek Gee emerges through the dust to chase him down.

    Remco Evenepoel empties the tank to get back to Tadej Pogacar and Jones Vingegaard. Chapeau.

  5. Tadej Pogacar is targeting the Mathieu van der Poel group.

    He has Matteo Jorgeson riding in his slipstream with Jonas Vingegaard tucked in behind.

  6. Remco Evenepoel is about seven seconds back...

  7. Jonas Vingegaard is on Matteo Jorgenson's wheel...he is coming back to Tadej Pogacar, who is riding straight into a headwind.

  8. Matteo Jorgenson is chasing Tadej Pogacar but Christophe Laporte is done...

  9. Pogacar sets the GC race alight

    Tadej Pogacar puts on the afterburners.

    Jonas Vingegaard's wheels are slipping. Christophe Laporte and Matteo Jorgenson are both in front of him.

    Remco Evenepoel is some way back...

  10. The second group in the road splits apart, as David Gaudu of all people, goes on the offensive.

  11. The breakaway is holding the Mathieu van der Poel group at around 50 seconds.

    Nobody in that leading posses will want to see the Dutch rider or the likes of Biniam Girmay and the fast-finishing Michael Matthews among them.

  12. Tom PIdcock drops back from the leading group to grab some energy gels and a bidon from his team car.

    Can the Ineos Grenadiers rider claim a second stage win at the Tour de France today?

    He memorably of course took victory on Bastille Day, a couple of years back.

  13. Tim Wellens hits the front of the yellow jersey group under orders from Tadej Pogacar to raise the tempo.

  14. Remco Evenepoel is again slightly out of position as the GC group hits the latest gravel stretch, the Ru de Paradis.

  15. Michael Matthews and Rasmus Tiller are joined by David Gaudu, Mathieu van der Poel, Rui Costa, Jakob Fuglsang and Biniam Girmay on the counter.

    They are around a minute down on the leading group.

  16. Longo Borghini wins opening stage of the Women's Giro d'Italia

    Meanwhile, over in Italy, Elisa Longo Borghini has won the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia Women, with a time of 20 minutes and 37seconds in a 15.7km individual time trial around Brescia.

    Grace Brown was one second back with her Australian compatriot Brodie Chapman in third.

  17. Wout van Aert is pulling at the front of the yellow jersey group.

    Mathieu van der Poel is sitting and watching around seventh in this group.

  18. ouch!

    Ouch!

    Aleksandr Vlasov goes flying over his handlebars into a ditch down the left side of the road. The Russian is 10th on GC and could end up losing time here.

    He is almost certainly going to require some medical attention and has a huge cut on his left arm as he gets back under way.

  19. Has Mathieu van der Poel been keeping his powder dry for a late attack.

    The Dutch puncheur has kept a watchful eye on the GC fireworks and barely raised his pedal stroke so far.

  20. Tom Pidcock is being distanced on the steep section of gravel just before the tarmac...

    The Ineos Grenadiers rider should be able to get back as Jasper Stuyen pushes on.