Tour de France Tour de France 2025 Stage 9: Chinon – Châteauroux (174.1k)

[Tim Cahill]

He wants the sprint points

After not sprinting for any yesterday, that's what I meant about his GT campaigns lacking logic, it's like they just decide what to do on the morning of every stage.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Groves must be delighted to see his leadout hitting the front 172 km too early

 

[ppanther92]

But indeed quite interesting that large breaks on flat stages simply do not exist anymore. If I look back to the TdFs of my childhood, you had them on each and every stage. I really wonder what the purpose of large parts of the peloton is if they don’t even try that. No GC rider, no sprinter, not going for a break. Just surviving 3 weeks? After all 1-2 of those breaks out of 100 for sure still worked…

 

[Didinho]

Came home from my training ride. Put on tv. What is this? Makes absolute no sense. Some publicity maybe.

Mathieu probably bored after yesterday.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Gouvenou threatening the sprinters saying we won't have them any more, pretty funny stuff.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1944355416923586700

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1944355416923586700

 

[YavorD]

Gouvenou threatening the sprinters saying we won't have them any more, pretty funny stuff.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1944355416923586700

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1944355416923586700

Didn't he say last year that he is aiming to reduce the sprint stages as they are boring?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Gouvenou threatening the sprinters saying we won't have them any more, pretty funny stuff.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1944355416923586700

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1944355416923586700

In my opinion they should increase the prize money for the most combative rider.

 

[Tim Cahill]

"Mauro, how much for me to take some Green points from Milan"

 

[Rou]

Pog should do an attack UAE style and join his buddy Mathieu upfront.
Detraining is a real issue.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Why are they trying to excite me on Sunday, what is their aim? This is not what i was expecting and sign up for.

 

[ppanther92]

Gouvenou threatening the sprinters saying we won't have them any more, pretty funny stuff.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1944355416923586700

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1944355416923586700

What did he actually say? Saw it on Eurosport, don’t speak French and the translation in German Europsport seemed shaky…

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Gouvenou threatening the sprinters saying we won't have them any more, pretty funny stuff.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1944355416923586700

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1944355416923586700

Gouvenou puts a pan-flat stage offering no hope of outcome other than a sprint on a key audience day, knowing that it has now been several years - well over a decade in fact - since teams allowed breakaways enough leeway for them to lend tension to the chase.

Gouvenou when key audience day flat stage goes to a sprint: #shockedpikachuface

 

[Tim Cahill]

What did he actually say? Saw it on Eurosport, don’t speak French and the translation in German Europsport seemed shaky…

Saying effectively that they have reduced absolute sprint stages by adding obstacles and will continue to do so if they carry on being so processional.

Probably could've done that before designing this weekends stages.

 

[Red Rick]

Van der Poel tactical guide

 

[Tim Cahill]

That Alpecin director sounds like he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment than being yelled at by Jens Voigt in full moto gp gear.

Don't think this was part of the plan

 

[stefank]

Groves must be delighted to see his leadout hitting the front 172 km too early

If they sit up after the intermediate sprint they will probably be quite refreshed by the end of the stage!

 

[ppanther92]

If they sit up after the intermediate sprint they will probably be quite refreshed by the end of the stage!

On the other hand, why would they ride at a tempo where they are 3:40 up already? 1 min would be enough to be sure you get the points…

 

[tobydawq]

It's been an OK first week where the stages have largely delivered as anticipated, but with an appalling second weekend.

And as usual, Toby ignores the follow-up post which adds mitigation and nuance to the comment so he can be dismissive and belittling.

I didn't ignore it, I think calling it merely "ok" is exactly proving the point I was making before.

Comparing this to first weeks of the 1990's or 2000's and it's just a whole different event. Yet people refuse to compliment the organisers for that because there is a flat stage on a Sunday.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Gouvenou puts a pan-flat stage offering no hope of outcome other than a sprint on a key audience day, knowing that it has now been several years - well over a decade in fact - since teams allowed breakaways enough leeway for them to lend tension to the chase.

Gouvenou when key audience day flat stage goes to a sprint: #shockedpikachuface

Sure, but you can only like this attitude towards the sprinters if you like interesting bike racing.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

3‘40“, tailwind all day, easy win for Van der Poel

 

[ppanther92]

Ok, so for now they continue the suicide break

 

[Didinho]

Rickaert to win the stage would be lovely.

Give them 10 minutes, I dare you.

 

[Samamba]

Wind seems to be picking up, but I think it's gonna be straight tailwind most of the time.

 

[Rackham]

What did he actually say? Saw it on Eurosport, don’t speak French and the translation in German Europsport seemed shaky…

He says teams used to depend on invites to take part in the TdF but because of the current system they're automatically selected, ergo there's a stranglehold by a whole bunch of sprint teams on the race and they stifle the entertainment. He said they're chopping off the branch they're sitting upon, basically, i.e. talking about limiting the number of sprint stages in the future to five or six.

He's not happy with yesterday's stage. I can only assume Alpecin and MvdP's behavior today is a sort of prank based on that criticism yesterday, i.e. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED (the Gladiator movie quote).

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

Going out for a ride now.

When I come back, I would like to see MVDP take yellow and Rickaert the stage. Also, peloton in pieces after echelons. While we're at it, Almeida miraculously cured and a pony.