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.
Stage 9 Sprints
- La Belle Indienne, km. 24.2
Stage 9 Mountains
- none
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