There’s a change of pace at the Tour de France on Sunday as the peloton heads back into the mountains, setting off from Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat and finishing at the summit of the Puy de Dome.
After the sprint finishes of Friday and Saturday, the final day before the first rest day of the Tour is designed to illicit fireworks up the the final climb.
There are a couple of category four ascents and a category three, but it looks primed to be a showdown on the Puy de Dome, a Hors Categorie climb – the hardest in cycling – between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.
Last year’s Tour winner Vingegaard took the yellow jersey on Thursday, but only after being blown away by Pogacar, who recovered from losing time to his rival on Wednesday to win the race’s first summit finish.
With a rest day on Monday and a downhill finish when the Tour resumes on Tuesday, both will be eyeing a potentially race-defining ride in the Auvergne.
Tour de France Stage 9 Betting Tips
Tadej Pogacar to win @ 5/2
Pogacar was picked apart by Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma on Wednesday but responded 24 hours later with a winning attack on the closing climb of Cauterets-Cambasque.
The Slovenian’s explosive dash around the side of Vingegaard will have worried the usually unflappable Dane and Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates’ relative lack of depth should not be an issue on a day that has a route designed to deliver late fireworks.
There are clear parallels between earlier this week when he emptied the tank for that win on Thursday knowing that two relatively easy days were on the horizon and his attacking style hints that he will go for broke again.
With more bonus seconds on the agenda, expect him to stick to Vingegaard’s wheel and then pick his moment to make an attack.
Daniel Martinez to win @ 33/1
Of course, the tactical battle between those two might offer something for those looking to get in the break and take the stage.
Martinez won the last time the Tour went over the Puy-de-Dome, albeit that day finished slightly south atop Puy-Mary and this is the type of stage in which the Colombian can often find his best form.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider has had another mixed Tour and, with compatriot Egan Bernal capable of protecting impressive youngster Carlos Rodriguez, then Martinez might be allowed to go on the attack in the breakaway.
At 27, questions are starting to be asked about his ability to race with the real elite but a win on Sunday would relieve some of those worries.
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