Mathieu van der Poel won his third career stage of the Tour de France on July 12, 2026, finishing first in a sprint at stage nine, which was shortened by 30km due to temperatures nearing 40C. The Dutch cyclist crossed the line ahead of Denmark's Tobias Johannessen and Great Britain's Tom Pidcock in a breakaway pack.
The ninth stage, running from Malemort to Ussel, faced extreme heat conditions, prompting French authorities to issue a "red alert." Defending champion Tadej Pogacar managed to finish in the chasing peloton, six seconds behind Van der Poel, retaining the leader's yellow jersey as the race heads into its first rest day.
Van der Poel's Performance in Challenging Conditions
Van der Poel described the day as "super-hard" but noted that the heat was "for sure" better than during earlier stages of the Tour. He stated, "I was struggling and finding it difficult to recover, even from the easier stages. The past few days I've felt a bit better and today I finally had some legs to go for it." This victory marks his third stage win in the Tour, having previously won in 2021 and 2025.
Pidcock's Mechanical Issues
Pidcock, who was aiming for his second stage win, encountered mechanical problems with his bike's chain cassette, which affected his performance. "My shifter stopped working," he explained. "I couldn’t change gear. My bike was perfect the whole race and then today when the win was there, it doesn’t work." Despite the setback, Pidcock expressed satisfaction with the day's competition, acknowledging Van der Poel's sprinting prowess.
Impact of Extreme Heat on the Race
The extreme heat has raised concerns about athlete safety, with the CPA (Cyclists' Professional Association) advocating for adjustments to race start times to protect the riders. Luke Durbridge, a seasoned Australian cyclist, noted, "It does make a difference, we appreciate the change. Going forward, if the way global warming is going, we probably need to start changing these start times." Meanwhile, Pogacar suggested more drastic measures, proposing a complete overhaul of the racing calendar to avoid extreme heat in July and August.
- Stage Nine Results:
- Mathieu van der Poel (Ned/Alpecin - Premier Tech): 3hrs 27mins 51secs
- Tobias Johannessen (Nor/Uno-X Mobility): Same time
- Tom Pidcock (GB/Pinarello-Q36.5): Same time
- Alex Baudin (Fra/EF Education-EasyPost): Same time
- Filippo Ganna (Ita/Netcompany-Ineos): +6secs
As the race continues, the effects of climate change and extreme weather on cycling events become increasingly evident, prompting conversations about how to adapt.
🤖 This article was rewritten by Feed and Figures' editorial AI from a report originally published by BBC Sport. Facts and quotes are preserved from the original; the rewrite focuses on clarity and structure. For the unedited original, see the source link below.
