Bob Jungels (AG2R Citroën Team) has won stage 9 on the Tour de France on a day when Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) looked like he may be able to recapture his glory days and take the stage victory.
Jungels put in an absolutely epic ride, attacking the day-long breakaway solo from a very long way out - with over 60km to go. He pulled out a two-minute gap on them as the remains of the peloton were a further one minute back.
Pinot took it up in the breakaway behind and on the penultimate climb he attacked. He set out in pursuit of the solo leader, Jungels. However, while Pinot got to within 20 seconds of Jungels, he began to struggle and Jungels opened it up again every time the road went down or evened out.
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Behind him, Pinot faded on the final climb to the line as two of the other original breakaway men - Jonathan Castroviejo (Ineos Grenadiers) and Carlos Verona (Movistar) - both caught him. Castroviejo and Verona then distanced Pinot on the run-in to the finish line in Châtel les portes du Soleil after 193km of racing.
In the end, Jungels took an absolutely superb win - after a period in the wilderness due to injury with Luxembourg national title wins his only victories since he won Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne back in 2019.
The Luxembourg TT champion was 22 seconds up on the line on 2nd place Castroviejo and Verona taking 3rd a further four seconds back. Then came Pinot, who was roared up the final climbs by the fans, in 4th place and some 40 seconds down on the winner.
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Just nine seconds behind him, race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) took 5th after he attacked the remains of the peloton just before the line. The only rider willing and able to mark him all the way was Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), who was 6th on the same time as Pogačar.
And behind those big two names in the general classification battle a small gap, of three seconds, opened to the rest of the big names; Geraint Thomas leading them home for 7th with Ineos Grenadiers team mate Simon Yates in his wheel in 8th.
More to come.
