Tour de France 2025 stage 9 preview - Curtain call for the sprinters on 'Avenue Cavendish'

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Sunday's flat contest runs 174.1km from Chinon to Châteauroux

LAVAL, FRANCE - JULY 12: Stage winner Jonathan Milan of Italy and Team Lidl - Trek - Green Sprint Jersey sprints at finish line during the 112th Tour de France, Stage 8 a 197km stage from Saint-Meen-le-Grand to Laval (Espace Mayenne) / #UCIWT / on July 12, 2025 in Laval, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Sprinters come to the line on stage 8, won by Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) (Image credit: Getty Images)
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A place synonymous with Mark Cavendish, Châteauroux saw the Manxman win his first of 35 Tour de France stage victories in 2008, before going on to become the dominant force in sprinting and win there on a further two occasions in 2011 and 2021.

"The teams banking on a bunch sprint won’t be hampered by any hilly terrain as they focus on their mission for the day," said Tour de France Director Christian Prudhomme.

With no categorised climbs on the profile, stage 9 beckons to end in a sprint finish. The route stretches for 174.1km from Chinon and is as flat as they come at this year’s race. The second half of the stage could bring a change in the direction and intensity of winds in the heart of central France.

Many of the sprinters will be keen to take Cavendish’s crown on the streets of Châteauroux, known as 'Avenue Cavendish', especially green jersey Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and sprinter Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep), who are both looking for a second win at this year's race.

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Profiles of the 2025 Tour de France stages and climbs
Stage 9 profile(Image credit: A.S.O.)

Stage 9 Sprints

  • La Belle Indienne, km. 24.2

Stage 9 Mountains

  • none
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Jackie Tyson
Jackie Tyson
North American Editor

Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.

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