The Tour de France's belated return to the Puy de Dôme after a 35-year break from the Auvergne mountain might not have produced classic GC battles of yore, such as the fondly remembered Raymond Poulidor-Jacques Anquetil battle of 1964.
However, even if there wasn't a classic GC battle or major revelation on the volcano looming over Clermont-Ferrand, the climb still brought another chapter in the Jonas Vingegaard-Tadej Pogačar battle.
Four days ago in Laruns, the Slovenian had looked almost dead-and-buried after ceding a yawning 1:04 in the maillot jaune fight having built up an 11-bonus second lead in the opening days.
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Now, after mounting successful fightbacks on the road to Cauterets 24 hours later and here at Puy de Dôme, the two-time Tour winner heads to the first rest day on Monday just 17 seconds down on the reigning champion.
"It's not a victory but it is a small victory, so I'm super happy today," Pogačar said after the stage, having led the GC men home with an eight-second gap to Vingegaard.
"It was a super nice day, quite relaxed until the last climb. I felt my legs immediately that it was good, but I was waiting just for the last 1.5km, just in case, but I had good legs."
Pogačar indeed launched his move 1,500 metres from the top of the climb, accelerating on the steepest, double-digit gradient slopes from what was a group of just five GC hopefuls to set up another two-man contest in the final.
He wouldn't crack Vingegaard fully, but metre by metre the gap grew as they raced into the final kilometre and towards the finish. Pogačar's advantage at the line might not have been large enough to wrest the yellow jersey back, but the momentum is with him as the race hits the rest day.
"I must say that I enjoyed it," Pogačar said of the climb. "I was a bit scared, the guys were telling me that it was so steep and so hard, but actually today we were flying uphill, so it didn't feel so steep."
UAE Team Emirates team principal Mauro Gianetti was on hand to give his opinion on the events of the stage at the team bus halfway down the mountain after the stage. He told the awaiting media that "every second is important" in the battle for the Tour, noting that the result was pleasing given stage 9 might well have suited Vingegaard better than his own charge.
"It was important, a stage maybe more convenient for Vingegaard," Gianetti said. "At the end of the day, we took eight seconds. It's not so much but I think that each second is very important so it's important to get these seconds.
"I think it's a fantastic sport and we have two immense champions. It's simply what everybody expects. I hope and wish that we'll see this battle for the next weeks."
Despite the fightback, both at Cauterets and Puy de Dôme, Jumbo-Visma and Vingegaard still have control of the yellow jersey, even if it does appear to slip with each mountain stage of the race.
Gianetti said that, despite the pressure being turned up on the Dutch squad, he and his team would still prefer to be in Vingegaard's situation, rather than continuing the fight from behind.
"When you have the yellow it's because you're stronger and you're in front," he said. "We're ready to take the responsibility. I would prefer to be first but we are where we are and we're still hoping."
Adam Yates, the former yellow jersey who now lies fifth on GC, came home just over a minute down on his team leader. The Briton reiterated Gianetti's point that every second is important, adding the maxim that he and his team would take it "day by day" for the remainder of the Tour.
"Every second counts in three weeks," Yates said after the stage. "Tadej was strong today and could take some seconds, so all good.
"The climb was so steep, there was no wind, and it was super-hot but we did well to manage it as a team. Tadej took some seconds so all good.
"We take it day by day. There was one day when lost time but we have regrouped well and tried not to waste energy. The rest day is needed."
