TheTour de France is leaving France as the ninth stage will take place in Spain and Andorra. Just before the rest day the riders have a hard day with an elevation gain of 4960 metres. Unlike the two previous stages the finish is not at the end of a descent but at the summit of the climb to Arcalis.

Lotto Soudal sports director Frederik Willems shares his thoughts.

“The difference with yesterday’s stage is that today the route goes uphill immediately. That means that only thirty riders will be interested in joining the breakaway instead of sixty. I expect that a big breakaway will be formed much sooner.

“Then Sky will control the race. If nobody of the front group is a potential threat, the escapees might get a considerable lead and then the non-climbers can hang on in the peloton for much longer to make the time cut. If someone who’s rather high on GC does get into the breakaway Sky won’t give them much space.”