Stage Nine of the Tour de France in 2023 witnessed an impressive victory by Michael Woods, who claimed his first stage win on a summit finish. Tadej Pogacar also made a significant move near the Puy de Dome summit, closing the gap on race leader Jonas Vingegaard before the first rest day of the tour.
During the 182.5km stage from Saint Leonard de Noblat, Woods, a Canadian climber, made up a time deficit of around two minutes on American rider Matteo Jorgenson during the steep final section of the dormant volcano, Puy de Dome. Both Woods and Jorgenson were among 14 escapees who established an early breakaway.
Pogacar’s late attack allowed him to gain eight seconds on Vingegaard, further narrowing the gap between them. Pogacar, a two-time winner, finished 13th on the stage, one place ahead of Vingegaard, but more than eight minutes behind Woods, the stage winner.
As a result, Pogacar now trails Vingegaard by just 17 seconds in the battle for the yellow jersey.
Vingegaard expressed his satisfaction with being in the yellow jersey after the first block of racing, acknowledging that the initial week didn’t favor his strengths. He believed that there are upcoming stages that would suit him better, particularly in the Alps.
The British duo of Simon Yates and Tom Pidcock were the next riders to reach the summit finish. Pidcock, representing Ineos Grenadiers, climbed two places to seventh in the general classification standings, while Yates sits in sixth place, trailing his twin brother Adam, the early race leader, by five seconds.
For Jorgenson, the stage ended in disappointment as Woods closed in on him during the final kilometers and eventually overtook him in the last 500 meters. Pierre Latour and Matej Mohoric also managed to pass Jorgenson in the final moments, denying him a place on the podium.
In contrast, Woods celebrated his remarkable triumph, describing it as a dream come true. At 36 years old, he expressed pride in himself and his team, finally achieving his long-held goal of winning a stage at the Tour de France.
The stage results were as follows:
- Michael Woods (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) – 4hrs 19mins 41secs
- Pierre Latour (Fra/TotalEnergies) +28secs
- Matej Mohoric (Slo/Bahrain Victorious) +35secs
- Matteo Jorgenson (US/Movistar) Same time
- Clement Berthet (Fra/AG2R-Citroen) +55secs
- Neilson Powless (US/EF Education-EasyPost) +1min 23secs
- Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana-Qazaqstan) +1min 39secs
- Jonas Gregaard (Den/Uno-X) +1min 58secs
- Mathieu Burgaudeau (Fra/TotalEnergies) +2mins 16secs
- David de la Cruz (Spa/Astana-Qazaqstan) +2mins 34secs
The general classification standings after stage nine are as follows:
- Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) – 38hrs 37mins 46secs
- Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +17secs
- Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +2mins 40secs
- Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +4mins 22secs
- Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +4mins 39secs
- Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +4mins 44secs
- Thomas Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +5mins 26secs
- David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +6mins 07secs
- Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) +6mins 45secs
- Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +7mins 37secs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Tour de France stage win
Q: Who won stage nine of the Tour de France in 2023?
A: Michael Woods, a Canadian cyclist representing Israel-Premier Tech, claimed the victory on stage nine.
Q: How did Tadej Pogacar perform on stage nine?
A: Tadej Pogacar, a two-time winner of the Tour de France, finished 13th on stage nine. He made a late attack and gained eight seconds on race leader Jonas Vingegaard.
Q: What was the outcome for Jonas Vingegaard on stage nine?
A: Jonas Vingegaard, the race leader at that point, finished 14th on stage nine, more than eight minutes behind the stage winner Michael Woods. However, he maintained his overall lead in the general classification standings.
Q: Which riders reached the summit finish after Michael Woods?
A: Following Michael Woods’ stage win, Pierre Latour and Matej Mohoric secured second and third place, respectively, at the summit finish of stage nine.
Q: How did Simon Yates and Tom Pidcock perform on stage nine?
A: Simon Yates and Tom Pidcock, both British riders, reached the summit finish after Michael Woods. Pidcock moved up two places to seventh in the general classification standings, while Yates sits in sixth place, trailing his twin brother Adam, the early race leader.
Q: What was the gap between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in the general classification after stage nine?
A: Following stage nine, Tadej Pogacar closed the gap on Jonas Vingegaard in the general classification standings to just 17 seconds, positioning himself as a strong contender for the yellow jersey.
More about Tour de France stage win
- Tour de France Official Website
- Tour de France – Wikipedia
- Michael Woods – Official Website
- Tadej Pogacar – UAE Team Emirates Profile
- Jonas Vingegaard – Team Jumbo-Visma Profile
- Simon Yates – Team Jayco-AlUla Profile
- Tom Pidcock – Ineos Grenadiers Profile
- Stage 9 Results – Tour de France Official Website
- General Classification Standings – Tour de France Official Website
