Tour de France
Again no stage win: German dry spell continues
07/13/2025 – 6:19 p.m.Reading time: 1 min.
No German has won a stage at the Tour de France for four years. This has not changed at the ninth stage this year.
Sunday was the number 80. As many stages have passed since Nils Politt’s victory at the Tour de France 2021. Not a single German cyclist has been able to win a stage since then. This Sunday Phil Bauhaus came close, but only became seventh. “It’s my third tour, but I’m still scared every time how quickly this is,” said Bauhaus a bit at a loss. Pascal Ackermann became twelfth.
On the 174.1 km long 9th stage in the “Cavendish City” Châteauroux, the German duo had no chance against the top favorites. The Belgian Team Merlier won the victory. The European champion from Soudal Quick-Step team won the mass sprint in Châteauroux after 174.1 km and celebrated his second day of the day on this year’s tour of France.
Merlier referred the Italian Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Arnaud de Lie (Belgium/Lotto) to the places in high-speed finals.
The overall leading Tadej Pogačar and the rivals in the fight for the yellow jersey had to pay attention to wind edges, but did not lose time. The stars rolled into the finish in the main field without loss of time. Pogačar leads the overall ranking with a 54-second lead over double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, but the journey to the central massif on Monday is still weakened: his noble helper Joao Almeida, which has fallen on Friday, climbed off the bike with broken rib.