Key events<\/p>\n
We are off!<\/p>\n
Christian Prudhomme pokes his head out of the sunroof and waves his little yellow flag. Stage nine is underway\u2026<\/p>\n
Share<\/a>Countdown to kilometre zero<\/p>\n The riders are rolling out of Malemort, racing begins in earnest in 5km.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n We have correspondence! Tim Buckley breaks the reader predictions duck: \u201cTom Pidcock and Ben Healey from the break. No threat on GC and handy at Ardennes style climbs.\u201d Do we dare to dream of an England World Cup win and a British stage winner on the Tour in the same weekend? Keep \u2018em coming.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Who do you think is taking today\u2019s stage? My inbox is open to predictions via the link at the top of the page.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>King of the mountains standings<\/p>\n Polka dot tabulations:<\/p>\n 1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 28 Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.13 EDT<\/p>\n Points standings<\/p>\n This is probably the real quiz today:<\/p>\n 1. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 228 Share<\/a>General classification standings<\/p>\n Here is the top ten, ahead of stage nine:<\/p>\n 1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 28hrs 49mins 07secs Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.13 EDT<\/p>\n More on the decision to shorten the ninth stage from Jeremy Whittle in Bergerac:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Undoubtedly the graphics team at ASO were a little gutted to have to fire up the file named \u2018stage_9_route_V4_final\u2019 and have to chop out 30km but here we are. This is what the riders will be working with today:<\/p>\n Allow Instagram content?<\/p>\n This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.36 EDT<\/p>\n Preamble<\/p>\n When Tadej Pogacar has an unassailable lead it is days like today that mean that the Tour de France<\/a> never remains less than compelling.<\/p>\n Shortened by 30km because of the red heatwave alert in Corr\u00e8ze d\u00e9partement of central France, this lumpy 155.5km run from Malemort to Ussel comes on the eve of the first rest day, offering interest to the peloton\u2019s lurkers, breakaway specialists and the bold.<\/p>\n The Suc au May is steep enough to entice a climber to have a dart but we are probably looking at a Mads Pedersen-type winner, if the Lidl-Trek rider does not fancy it himself. Maybe without the pains of saddle sores, Tom Pidcock would be a contender to add to his sole stage win at the Tour. Quinn Simmons and Mathias Vacek will also be eyeing this one up for sure.<\/p>\n
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) 19
3. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) 16
4. Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) 13
5. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) 12
6. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) 10
7. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 10
8. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) 10
9. Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) 9
10. Ra\u00fal Garc\u00eda (Movistar Team) 7<\/p>\n
2. Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) 213
3. Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling<\/a> Team) 203
4. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) 175
5. Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team) 172
6. Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) 110
7. S\u00f8ren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) 89
8. Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) 79
9. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 75
10. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) 61<\/p>\n
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike): +2mins 42secs
3. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): +3mins 27secs
4. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): +3mins 30secs
5. Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek): +3mins 34secs
6. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team): +3mins 55secs
7. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): +4mins 00secs
8. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious): +4mins 21secs
9. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek): +4mins 57secs
10. Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek): +7mins 10secs<\/p>\n