The gravel stage with 14 off-road sectors spaced throughout the course. There are two races today, one to win the stage and the other to avoid losing time.Colombey-les-deux-tapes: the stage started with a bang as EFs Stefan Bissegger and Neilson Powless attacked out of the peloton. You could tell they were going to move, poised at the front and wearing the teams TT-style helmets. The indefatigable Johannes Abrahamsen made it across but nobody else could. It was almost too much too soon but were the team using this as a decoy move to tire the field so that Ben Healy could attack? Alberto Bettiol did try to launch the Irishman but it came to nothing. It was like watching a heist movie where the robbers to burst into the bank, only to turn on their heels and slip out. The EF pair sat up to leave Abrahamsen alone for the day, but at least they tried on a day when the rest of the peloton sat tight.After a 150km interlude it came down to a bunch sprint. Cofidis hit the front but the front hit them back, Bryan Coquard stalled just as the slope began to rise. Biniam Girmay came around him and Jasper Philipsen pulled level with the Eritrean but in the final moments Girmay pulled clear, his second stage win. Once again Philipsen was close and Arnaud De Lie strong but he cant find a way through.Not to labour the point but Girmay is more than a sprinter and can sustain uphill efforts like this when others cannot. One of his rivals has been Mads Pedersen but the Dane is out of the race. It leaves Girmay well clear the points competition, 216 to 128 for Pedersen.The Route: 199km and a rare loop, the start and finish in the same town. 33km are off road gravel sectors, often amid the vines. Gravel comes in many different forms but remember some of these roads were used in the inaugural Le Tour Femmes in 2022. Marlen Reusser won the stage and the only GC rider who lost time was Mavi Garcia, but not undone by the stones but felled by her team car. The gravel is not fierce but theres the fear of fear effect where teams stressed about something going wrong fight for position which adds to the pressure and so on.The early sections are hilly, tackling some tough ridges and contribute to the days total of 2,000m. They are counted down in reverse order and of the 14 sectors 12,11 and 10 are the most severe with plenty of double-digit gradients and wall-like ramps. Exciting, sure but these finish with 80km to go. Comparisons with Paris-Roubaix are probably excessive but one similarity should be the stress to get into position for each sector, the battle can be on the approach rather than the gravel itself. The sections keep coming but the latter ones are flat and the final one finishes with just 6.5km to go.The Finish: flat and big boulevards.The Contenders: wide open to many but this should have the feel of a spring classic. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is a suitable pick, his top speed might not be enough right now but give him a tougher stage and it might work; of course if not then it could be time for Mathieu van der Poel who has cut a discreet figure so far but has had todays stage in mind for a long time. Biniam Girmay (Intermarch-Wanty) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) are picks too but both would like an uphill finish.Theres a long list of contenders. Tadej Pogaar (UAE) makes the list but if there is a sprint from a group some names are quicker but as dynamic and versatile as he can be, can he get an advantage of his GC riders and can his team deliver. Wout van Aert (Visma-LAB) ought to be a pick but what if he is a sherpa for the day for Jonas Vingegaard? Matej Mohoric (Bahrain) as the stealth pick, Oier Lazkano (Movistar) is looking in great form and Frank van den Broek (DSM) is a name to mull over but he might have to be solo to win.MvdP, Philipsen, De LieGirmay, Van Gils, Mohori, Madouas, Pogaar, WvA, BettiolWeather: 22C and mostly cloudy, a 15km/h breeze from the south. Damp gravel sections from previous rain.TV: KM0 is at 1.35pm CEST and the finish is forecast for 6.00pm CEST. The start should be hectic with a battle to get in break and with the GC teams racing for position.Postcard from TroyesTroyes + cycling = the Simon family. There are seven or nine Simon siblings depending on which newspapers you read. Whats certain is that five of them were boys and four became professional cyclists.Pascal Simon was the oldest, born in 1956 and he had a solid career as a pro, taking a stage of the Tour de France in 1982 in the Pyrenees and with it the yellow jersey. In the absence of Bernard Hinault that year he had a good option on the final victory here but the very next day he crashed and fractured his shoulder. Unable to pull on the handlebars properly he tried to defend his overall lead but the agony was overwhelming. Laurent Fignon was taking back time and he was forced to quit the race. I think I could have kept it but destiny decided otherwise he told local newspaper LEst Eclair.Rgis Simon was the next brother, born in 1958 and he won a stage of the Tour de France too. Jrme Simon was born in 1960 and he too would win a stage, and later became one of Greg Lemonds domestiques.Embed from Getty ImagesFranois Simon was born in 1968 and he did not win a stage. Instead he did wear yellow and finished sixth overall in 2001.The cycling family does not stop there because Robert Millar (now Philippa York) married a Simon sister and become their brother in law. The fifth brother was Stphane who also got into cycling but was just a good amateurthis brings us to another Troyes cycling connection, its not a big town but it has two rival cycling clubs: UV Aube and UVCA Troyes. Each has helped send many riders into the pro ranks. One of them, pictured in his UVCA kit, returns with the Tour de France today. Can you work out who it is?The post Tour de France Stage 9 Preview first appeared on The Inner Ring.