Stage 9

Stage 9 of the Tour de France 2026 is the final day of action before the first of the year's two rest days, and it comes after a couple of flatter days designed to give the spotlight to the sprinters.

This one will push the teams to the limit and should leave them exhausted with the recovery opportunity ahead, but due to the extreme heat in France this week, the ride has been shortened by 30 kilometers, going from 185.5 to 155.5 kilometers. The race organizers accomplished this by cutting out a hilly loop at the beginning of the stage.

After two flat stages made for the sprinters, Stage 9 of the Tour de France 2026 couldn't be more opposite. It's considered hilly and not mountainous, but there's almost no flat terrain during the entire 185.5 kilometers from Malemort to Ussel (now 155.5 kilometers with a hilly loop removed from the front part of the stage).

The 3,400 meters of climbing is considered the most consistently challenging non-mountain stage of the 21 days, and the rolling route features four categorized climbs, with none longer than 4.8 kilometers, but each eclipsing 6% gradient.

For those who have the legs to lead this stage, it may take some strategy and an aggressive move in the final kilometers to lock this one up.