Good morning and welcome to the Tour de France liveblog. Stage 9 is set to be dominated by scorching temperatures, prompting the French authorities to raise the country's heat alert level and forcing the race organisers to implement drastic measures. Although the stage has been shortened, its diffic...

Chris Horner believes Mathieu van der Poel remains fractionally below his explosive best after identifying a revealing moment during Stage 8 of the 2026 Tour de France. Van der Poel successfully closed two attacks on the final classified climb before delivering Jasper Philipsen into the Bergerac spr...

UPDATED July 12, 2026 BY Olha Kurochkina IN Istanbul Express no comments Get Lost In TroyesThere are cities you visit because they belong on every bucket list. You arrive with a checklist, a carefully saved Google Map, and the feeling that you need to see everything before you leave.And then there are places like Troyes. Places you never expected to fall in love with. When we rolled into Troyes the day before, we almost bypassed the historic centre. Id heard the Tour Leader Balazs say it was beautiful, but honestly, I wasnt expecting much.The following morning was my rest day. Like any responsible traveller, I did what were all guilty of doing these days. I opened Google Maps, asked ChatGPT to build me the perfect walking route, pinned all the places I had to see, and confidently headed into town.That plan lasted about five minutes.Because Troyes has a habit of distracting you.You spot a tiny medieval alley and think, Ill just peek in for a second. Then another. Then a hidden courtyard. Then a bakery that smells too good to walk past. Then a little square full of people lingering over lunch. Before you know it, your phone is back in your pocket. The map is forgotten. Youre no longer trying to see Troyes. Youre simply wandering through it. And thats when the city starts revealing itself.Could I tell you to visit the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul? Sure. Youll probably end up there anyway. Should you walk down Rue mile Zola? Chances are, you will. Should you find Ruelle des Chats? Somehow, Troyes will make sure you do. Thats the beauty of this place. You dont have to chase its highlights. They quietly appear when theyre supposed to.Eventually youll get hungry. Dont overthink it. Look around, pick the nearest caf, and sit down. Just make sure youve learned one important French lesson first: restaurants serve lunch when they serve lunch (between 12 and 1 pm). Miss the service, and the kitchen is closed. But even thats not really a problem. Find the nearest boulangerie instead. Grab a fresh baguette, a slice of quiche, maybe something sweet for later, and find a shady bench or a little square with a fountain. And that might end up being the better meal. So this isnt really a guide to Troyes, Its suggestion to get lost. Put your phone away, ignore your map, take the next little street that catches your eye and trust the city. It knows where its taking you.And one more thing.What are you doing to me, Istanbul Express?Day one, you gave me one of the most unforgettable arrivals Ive ever experienced, rolling into Provins. Day two, you casually introduced me to Troyes and then had the audacity to schedule a rest day here. If this is only the beginning, I genuinely have no idea what the rest of this journey has in store. No wonder Istanbul Express (formally the Orient Express) has become one of TDAs most loved tours. Im only a few days inand Im already wondering how this tour plans to top itself.Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "Get Lost In Troyes" Cancel reply

The relentless heat surrounding the 2026 Tour de France is threatening to overtake the racing itself as the defining concern inside the peloton. Stage 9 was shortened by 30 kilometres after Correze was placed under a red heatwave alert, but the intervention addressed only one day in conditions which...

Rian McCrystal has won the 2026 Quanta Capital Junior Tour of Ireland, holding the yellow jersey through a fast and nervous final circuit race in Ennis to seal overall victory by three seconds.The Cycling Ireland rider went into the closing 79-kilometre stage with the slenderest of margins over Lucas Lillistone, who had taken the jersey off him at Ballyallia the day before. Over six laps of the Ennis circuit the race never settled attack after attack went, but with the general classification so tight, nothing was allowed the room to change it. McCrystal marked every move that mattered and crossed the line in the front group, second on the stage, to make the lead his own for good.Gemmell takes the stageThe stage itself went to Fraser Gemmell (SpokesOscar Onley Development), who won the bunch sprint from McCrystal and Rab Drummond after 1h4557 of racing at 44.79kph. It was a fitting reward for a rider who had animated the race all week, and it moved him level with Lillistone on points, though McCrystals tally through the week kept the green jersey out of reach.Three seconds, six daysMcCrystal finishes the Tour three seconds clear of Lillistone, with Drummond third at 13 seconds and Cormac Nagle fourth at 16. Nils Hummel completes the top five at 25 seconds. After 573 kilometres of racing, the top four are separated by the kind of margins usually reserved for a single time trial.McCrystals win is emphatic in its breadth. As well as the overall, he takes the Cross Insurances points classification and the Esmark Finch first-year junior title three of the races five jerseys to one rider. Lillistone, second overall and second among the first-years, and Gemmell, the days stage winner, were his closest challengers in those competitions.Nagle, who did so much of the climbing all week, takes the Wicklow200 mountains jersey, having led Rocco Schumacher and Kaison Smith over the summits that shaped the race.Hot Tubes seal the teamsHot Tubes win the team classification, finishing 28 seconds clear of EF EducationONTO and 33 seconds ahead of Cycling Ireland after six days. SpokesOscar Onley Development took the stage team prize on the final day.One hundred and three riders finished the Tour. Fittingly for a race that came down to a handful of seconds, McCrystal twice a stage winner earlier in the week, dispossessed of the jersey on the penultimate day, and then winning it back where it mattered is a worthy champion of the 2026 edition.Full results Yellow GC Quanta Capital Rian Mccrystal Cycling Ireland Green Points Cross Insurances Rian Mccrystal Cycling Ireland Polka Mountains Wicklow 200 Cormac Nagle Hot Tubes Stage Winner Fraser Gemmell Spokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development Find your rider live trackingSearch the GC or any classification tap to look up a riderStage 6 Result fullS6Stage 6 Result1Fraser GemmellSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development1h45m57s2Rian MccrystalCycling Ireland1h45m57s3Rab DrummondTeam Rauland1h45m57s4Egan LittleTeam Velosport1h45m57s5Zach BarbourSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development1h45m57s6Cormac NagleHot Tubes1h45m57s7Casey WarrenTeam California 11h45m57s8Matthew CrabbeHot Tubes1h45m57s9Lucas LillistoneHalesowen Academy-mapei1h45m57s10Noah WhiteLee Valley Youth CC Team 11h45m57s11Luca Geddes GascoLee Valley Youth CC Team 11h45m57s12Wendel BauerTeam California 11h45m57s13Enzo BerghoutEf Education - Onto1h45m57s14Sam GenazziniLee Valley Youth CC Team 21h45m57s15Nathan RiemerBoulder Junior Cycling1h45m57s16Gregor CalvertWest Lothian Clarion CC1h45m57s17Mikey RatcliffeHalesowen Academy-mapei1h45m57s18Caleb McgreevyCycling Ulster1h45m57s19Lasse Van HaesebrouckeHot Tubes1h45m57s20Noah FinnCycling Leinster1h45m57s21Conor ReganKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial1h45m57s22Sebastian FunkTeam Velosport1h45m57s23Louis ThornleySpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development1h45m57s24Reid MclaughlinTeam California 11h45m57s25Kash AdamskiHot Tubes1h45m57s26Coleman HuntDdp Elite Cycling1h45m57s27Nils HummelTeam California 11h45m57s28Jacob HinesEf Education - Onto1h45m57s29Ethan CoursonDdp Elite Cycling1h45m57s30Alex SniderEf Education - Onto1h45m57s31Ben JonesLee Valley Youth CC Team 21h45m57s32Callum MaciverTeam Rauland1h45m57s33Stephen Savino IvNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management1h45m57s34Adam KubalaBoulder Junior Cycling1h45m57s35Will SiminskiLeinster - Shay Murphy Development1h45m57s36Joel KowalonekNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management1h45m57s37Kaison SmithEf Education - Onto1h45m57s38Darragh ByrneCycling Ireland1h45m57s39Alec SorbyIsle Of Man1h45m57s40James MackeyCycling Ulster1h45m57s41Andrew ConnollyTeam Munster Development1h45m57s42Cian ConnollyNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management1h45m57s43George CooperTeam Pau1h45m57s44Carson BakerEf Education - Onto1h45m57s45Ewan SextonWest Lothian Clarion CC1h45m57s46Ciaran O SullivanTeam Munster Development1h45m57s47Ollie LarnerTeam Pau1h45m57s48Jason GilsenanLeinster - Shay Murphy Development1h45m57s49Adrian DoyonIgnite Junior Cycling Team1h45m57s50Jaiden LodhaIgnite Junior Cycling Team1h45m57s51Noah WhellerLee Valley Youth CC Team 11h45m57s52Benjamin BerginCycling Leinster1h45m57s53Luke WilliamsTeam California 21h45m57s54Roch MorganIsle Of Man1h45m57s55Jack LawlessLeinster - Shay Murphy Development1h45m57s56Sylvan GarreltsHot Tubes1h45m57s57Riley SmithCycling Ulster1h45m57s58Clark LavoieTeam Velosport1h45m57s59Mason WilsonTeam Velosport1h45m57s60Rocco Schumacher360 Cycling Jrt1h45m57s61Raphael Jacquamet-rossSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development1h45m57s62Zachary RudyTeam California 21h45m57s63Seth HollandHouston Heat Cycling1h45m57s64Bob MayeCycling Leinster1h45m57s65Ben GloverIgnite Junior Cycling Team1h45m57s66George CollinsLee Valley Youth CC Team 11h45m57s67Hamish MayesSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development1h45m57s68Diarmuid CollinsTeam Munster Development1h45m57s69Noah KeelDdp Elite Cycling1h45m57s70James ArmstrongCycling Ireland1h46m15s71Oran O CallaghanTeam Munster Development1h46m15s72Tom HughesKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial1h46m15s73John O MahonyTeam Munster Development1h46m15s74Brion ThomasTeam Pau1h46m15s75Oliver O ShaughnessyCycling Leinster1h46m15s76Curtis MckeeCycling Ulster1h46m15s77Fionn KilleenCycling Ireland1h46m21s78Adam MatthewsCycling Ulster1h46m28s79Charles AlcockTeam Rauland1h47m14s80Zach JonesIsle Of Man1h47m17s81Lee McqueenSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development1h47m18s82David AveryTeam California 21h48m16s83Tavin GarciaTeam Velosport1h50m15s84Xander Brandon-higgsHalesowen Academy-mapei1h51m21s85Eli WatsonEf Education - Onto1h51m50s86Toby BarnesTeam Pau1h55m49s87Duncan HindWest Lothian Clarion CC1h56m20s88Patrick ThynneDornan Cycling Munster2h00m25s89William GoguenNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management2h00m25s90James SaundersHalesowen Academy-mapei2h05m26s91Gregory DebenedettiTeam California 12h05m26s92Jake McleanIgnite Junior Cycling Team2h05m26s93Reuben CoxTeam Pau2h19m20s94Joe EganHalesowen Academy-mapei2h19m20s95Jack LeavellBoulder Junior Cycling2h19m20s96Taavi SnappBoulder Junior Cycling2h20m20s97Darragh O KeefeLeinster - Shay Murphy Development2h20m20s98Ollie PatersonWest Lothian Clarion CC2h22m20s99Elliot English360 Cycling Jrt2h22m20s100Joshua LoosDornan Cycling Munster2h22m20s101Gabriel JakobsenTeam Rauland2h22m20s102Colin SheehanDornan Cycling Munster2h23m20s103Owen CairnsTeam Pau2h24m20sGeneral Classification after Stage 6 fullGCGeneral Classification Quanta Capital1Rian MccrystalCycling Ireland12h40m47s2Lucas LillistoneHalesowen Academy-mapei+3s3Rab DrummondTeam Rauland+13s4Cormac NagleHot Tubes+16s5Nils HummelTeam California 1+25s6Zach BarbourSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+31s7Wendel BauerTeam California 1+34s8Sam GenazziniLee Valley Youth CC Team 2+37s9Caleb McgreevyCycling Ulster+37s10Conor ReganKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial+37s11Enzo BerghoutEf Education - Onto+37s12Noah FinnCycling Leinster+37s13Sylvan GarreltsHot Tubes+37s14Mikey RatcliffeHalesowen Academy-mapei+37s15Stephen Savino IvNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management+37s16Kaison SmithEf Education - Onto+37s17Andrew ConnollyTeam Munster Development+37s18Kash AdamskiHot Tubes+37s19Alec SorbyIsle Of Man+37s20Darragh ByrneCycling Ireland+37s21Raphael Jacquamet-rossSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+37s22Rocco Schumacher360 Cycling Jrt+44s23Callum MaciverTeam Rauland+1m01s24Matthew CrabbeHot Tubes+2m57s25Joel KowalonekNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management+3m06s26Adam KubalaBoulder Junior Cycling+3m06s27Jacob HinesEf Education - Onto+3m09s28Ben JonesLee Valley Youth CC Team 2+3m11s29Lasse Van HaesebrouckeHot Tubes+3m11s30James ArmstrongCycling Ireland+3m24s31Nathan RiemerBoulder Junior Cycling+3m26s32Noah WhiteLee Valley Youth CC Team 1+3m59s33Clark LavoieTeam Velosport+4m01s34Adam MatthewsCycling Ulster+4m41s35Seth HollandHouston Heat Cycling+4m53s36Egan LittleTeam Velosport+5m16s37Fionn KilleenCycling Ireland+5m23s38Tom HughesKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial+5m41s39Fraser GemmellSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+6m09s40Carson BakerEf Education - Onto+6m49s41Jaiden LodhaIgnite Junior Cycling Team+7m15s42Louis ThornleySpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+7m30s43Gregor CalvertWest Lothian Clarion CC+7m33s44Ciaran O SullivanTeam Munster Development+7m33s45Roch MorganIsle Of Man+7m34s46George CooperTeam Pau+7m42s47Oran O CallaghanTeam Munster Development+7m46s48John O MahonyTeam Munster Development+8m15s49Luca Geddes GascoLee Valley Youth CC Team 1+8m42s50Oliver O ShaughnessyCycling Leinster+8m45s51Mason WilsonTeam Velosport+9m14s52Alex SniderEf Education - Onto+10m04s53Noah WhellerLee Valley Youth CC Team 1+11m02s54Charles AlcockTeam Rauland+11m35s55Diarmuid CollinsTeam Munster Development+12m24s56Jack LawlessLeinster - Shay Murphy Development+12m46s57Zach JonesIsle Of Man+13m04s58Bob MayeCycling Leinster+13m53s59Ethan CoursonDdp Elite Cycling+13m55s60Curtis MckeeCycling Ulster+14m23s61Casey WarrenTeam California 1+14m58s62George CollinsLee Valley Youth CC Team 1+16m11s63Eli WatsonEf Education - Onto+18m03s64Will SiminskiLeinster - Shay Murphy Development+18m16s65James MackeyCycling Ulster+18m19s66Coleman HuntDdp Elite Cycling+18m41s67Sebastian FunkTeam Velosport+20m07s68Cian ConnollyNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management+21m24s69Ben GloverIgnite Junior Cycling Team+22m38s70Ewan SextonWest Lothian Clarion CC+24m22s71Luke WilliamsTeam California 2+26m05s72Ollie LarnerTeam Pau+32m19s73Riley SmithCycling Ulster+36m54s74Noah KeelDdp Elite Cycling+39m35s75Jake McleanIgnite Junior Cycling Team+39m48s76Reid MclaughlinTeam California 1+40m31s77Brion ThomasTeam Pau+41m23s78Benjamin BerginCycling Leinster+44m09s79Gabriel JakobsenTeam Rauland+52m09s80Lee McqueenSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+52m22s81Jason GilsenanLeinster - Shay Murphy Development+52m56s82Xander Brandon-higgsHalesowen Academy-mapei+1h02m28s83Taavi SnappBoulder Junior Cycling+1h02m30s84Gregory DebenedettiTeam California 1+1h10m06s85Tavin GarciaTeam Velosport+1h12m04s86Jack LeavellBoulder Junior Cycling+1h18m25s87Joe EganHalesowen Academy-mapei+1h19m14s88Elliot English360 Cycling Jrt+1h19m42s89Adrian DoyonIgnite Junior Cycling Team+1h20m34s90Toby BarnesTeam Pau+1h23m15s91Duncan HindWest Lothian Clarion CC+1h26m14s92Hamish MayesSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development+1h28m10s93Zachary RudyTeam California 2+1h28m27s94James SaundersHalesowen Academy-mapei+1h31m40s95Owen CairnsTeam Pau+1h33m44s96Reuben CoxTeam Pau+1h33m53s97David AveryTeam California 2+1h42m23s98Patrick ThynneDornan Cycling Munster+1h49m18s99Joshua LoosDornan Cycling Munster+1h53m20s100Colin SheehanDornan Cycling Munster+2h00m47s101Darragh O KeefeLeinster - Shay Murphy Development+2h09m54s102William GoguenNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management+2h24m05s103Ollie PatersonWest Lothian Clarion CC+2h54m22sPTSPoints Competition Cross Insurances1Rian MccrystalCycling Ireland62pts2Lucas LillistoneHalesowen Academy-mapei47pts3Fraser GemmellSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development47pts4Rab DrummondTeam Rauland46pts5Zach BarbourSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development42pts6Nils HummelTeam California 137pts7Cormac NagleHot Tubes35pts8Matthew CrabbeHot Tubes33pts9George CooperTeam Pau24pts10Casey WarrenTeam California 123pts11Egan LittleTeam Velosport22pts12Wendel BauerTeam California 122pts13Ethan CoursonDdp Elite Cycling19pts14Mikey RatcliffeHalesowen Academy-mapei17pts15Gabriel JakobsenTeam Rauland13pts16Sylvan GarreltsHot Tubes13pts17Conor ReganKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial13pts18Nathan RiemerBoulder Junior Cycling11pts19Clark LavoieTeam Velosport10pts20Louis ThornleySpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development10pts21Tom HughesKilcullen CC - Murphy Geospacial10pts22Riley SmithCycling Ulster9pts23Noah WhiteLee Valley Youth CC Team 18pts24Sam GenazziniLee Valley Youth CC Team 28pts25Ben JonesLee Valley Youth CC Team 27pts26Noah FinnCycling Leinster6pts27Caleb McgreevyCycling Ulster6pts28Alec SorbyIsle Of Man5pts29Joel KowalonekNew England Devo P/b Cadence Wealth Management3pts30Carson BakerEf Education - Onto3pts31Enzo BerghoutEf Education - Onto3ptsKOMMountains Competition Wicklow 2001Cormac NagleHot Tubes27pts2Rocco Schumacher360 Cycling Jrt25pts3Kaison SmithEf Education - Onto21pts4Caleb McgreevyCycling Ulster16pts5Sylvan GarreltsHot Tubes14pts6Fraser GemmellSpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development9pts7Callum MaciverTeam Rauland7pts8Louis ThornleySpokes Racing Team - Oscar Onley Development5pts9Alex SniderEf Education - Onto4pts10Gregory DebenedettiTeam California 13pts11Carson BakerEf Education - Onto3pts12Rian MccrystalCycling Ireland1pts13Jacob HinesEf Education - Onto1ptsTEAMTeam General Classification1Hot Tubes38h03m44s2Ef Education - Onto+28s3Cycling Ireland+33s4Isle Of Man Utmost Mezzo+5m37s5Cycling Ulster+5m50s6Spokes-oscar Onley Devel+6m13s7Lee Valley Youth CC 1+6m19s8New England Cadence Wealth+10m17s9Team Rauland+11m11s10Team Munster Development+14m15s11Team California 1+14m38s12Team Velosport+16m44s13Cycling Leinster+20m59s14Halesowen Academy-mapei+24m19s15Boulder Junior Cycling+43m48s16Ignite Junior Cycling Team+44m30s17Ddp Elite Cycling+52m10s18Leinster - Shay Murphy Devel+1h14m41s19Team Pau+1h25m42s20West Lothian Clarion CC+1h56m46s21Dornan Cycling Munster+2h47m35s22Team California 2+3h25m10sFind your rider live trackingSearch the GC or any classification tap to look up a rider

Former world champion Luc Leblanc has questioned whether Tadej Pogacar would face the same level of suspicion over his performances if the dominant Tour de France leader were French. Leblanc, who won the rainbow jersey in 1994 and claimed Tour stages at Hautacam and Les Arcs, offered an emphatic def...

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Good morning and welcome to the Tour de France liveblog. Stage 9 is set to be dominated by scorching temperatures, prompting the French authorities to raise the country's heat alert level and forcing the race organisers to implement drastic measures. Although the stage has been shortened, its diffic...

Mathieu Van der Poel won an enthralling ninth stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, sprinting to the line after a chaotic day in the Massif Centrale.The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider had been part of a huge breakaway which eventually formed after 60km of aggressive racing in the boiling centre of France. Only four of the group survived to compete for the win, with Tobias Haaland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) taking second place, while Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) was third. The breakaway's only other survivor, Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) held on for fourth place, just six seconds ahead of the chasing peloton.As the leading quartet entered the closing kilometre, with the bunch closing fast, Van der Poel had been stranded on the front by his breakaway companions, but had the power to win the sprint from the front. Despite the stage being shortened because of the intense heat blanketing the country, stage 9 had always been predicted to be one where the breakaway had a chance of taking the win. Even when overall leader, Tadej Pogaar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG decided to chase them down, they resisted, taking their lead into the final 30km. Netcompany-Ineos then took over the pace setting in the bunch the breakaway's dropped, but Van der Poel attacked the breakaway taking three others with him, the quartet racing to the line. Even when Lidl-Trek entered the fray, hoping to set up a win for Mads Pedersen, the leaders held on for the win.The General Classification remains unchanged, the only difference being Egan Bernal (Netcompany-Ineos) moving into 10th overall. Pogaar continues to lead by 2.42 as the race heads into the first rest day on Monday.The Tour has not gone to plan for Alpecin-Premier Tech so far, with Jasper Philipsen failing to win any of the three sprinters' stages, so Van der Poel was rightly pleased with his victory."It was a super hard day," he said. "I think like always we stayed calm, we have a really nice group here and we kept believing that it will turn around and today maybe second week, maybe third week, but it's really nice to go to the first rest day with a win."It was for sure better than the first few days," he said, referring to the heat. "I was really struggling and had some difficulties to recover even from the easier days, but already the past two days I felt a little bit better, of course they were easier days, but today I finally had some legs to go for it."I spent a lot of energy trying to keep the breakaway alive, there was a lot pressure from the bunch. The roads were horrible for a breakaway, headwind the whole day, we really fought for it, and I'm happy to finish it off."More to follow

Mathieu van der Poel ended Alpecin-Premier Techs difficult start to the 2026 Tour de France with victory on Stage 9, beating Tobias Halland Johannessen and Tom Pidcock after a punishing day in the Correze heat. The Dutchman helped keep the strongest breakaway alive, attacked on the final classified...