Another stage with 'sprint' written all over it. There are two 4th-category climbs heading south-west from the Champagne centre of Épernay, but little to trouble the sprinters and their teams heading into Montargis.
Expect the traditional first week formula of ‘breakaway + chase = sprint’ to apply. The last time the Tour headed into Montargis the fastmen held sway, as Belgian-based Australian Robbie McEwen romped to victory in 2005.
Stage profile
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Vuelta a España stage 9 LIVE – Vingegaard and the GC contenders set to battle for the win on ski resort summit finish
Alfaro to Estación de esquí de Valdezcaray, 195km -
Jenny Rissveds and Luca Martin take XCO victories at Les Gets UCI Mountain Bike World Series
Sixth for Mathieu van der Poel as Puck Pieterse has off weekend ahead of World Championships -
'All we can do is look ahead' – Mads Pedersen winless but still on the hunt at Vuelta a España
Dane eyes up harder stages as a chance for victory after flat sprint on stage 8 "just wasn't good enough" -
'It sucked actually, the whole Tour de France' - Ben O'Connor gets racing mojo back at Vuelta a España after tough July
Australian remains in GC fight as Vuelta moves towards crunch stages in northern Spain
