3 : HAT-TRICK FOR VAN DER POEL
Unstoppable in Ussel, Mathieu Van der Poel won the third Tour de France stage of his career this Sunday, after a day of intense struggle in the breakaway. The Dutchman opened his account in 2021 at Mûr-de-Bretagne before winning at Boulogne-sur-Mer last year. “MVDP” thus overtakes his father, winner twice in the Grande Boucle, in 1987 and 1988, but remains four lengths behind his grandfather Raymond Poulidor, winner of seven stages between 1962 and 1974.
64 : « POUPOU »
64 years ago to the day, on 12th July 1962, Raymond Poulidor, the famous grandfather of Mathieu Van der Poel, claimed his first Tour de France stage victory in Aix-les-Bains. And, whether by mere coincidence or a twist of fate, Masbaraud-Mérignat, "Poupou’s" birthplace, is located… 64 kilometers from Ussel, the finish town for this ninth stage.
172 : A NEW TRIUMPH FOR THE NETHERLANDS
With this victory, Mathieu van der Poel secures the Netherlands' 172nd stage win in the Tour de France, their second this year, following Olav Kooij’s win on stage five in Pau. Notably, this marks the first time since 2022 that two Dutch riders have claimed stage victories in the same edition. That year, Fabio Jakobsen and Dylan Groenewegen proved the fastest in the two bunch sprints during the Danish Grand Départ. This year, the Dutch haul is rounded out by the success of the Visma-Lease a Bike team, winner of the opening team time trial in Barcelona.
2 : TO THE FIGHT
Active and aggressive throughout the day, Mathieu Van der Poel was also rewarded with the combativity award. The former world champion has previously claimed this Tour trophy, having been named the most combative rider on stage 12 in 2023 after riding solo for part of the day. While this marks the third combativity award for Alpecin–Premier Tech, following Jonas Rickaert’s one last year on the stage to Châteauroux, the Dutch puncheur will need to secure two more to match the tally of his father, Adrie, who earned four during his career.
6 : JULY SPELLS SUCCESS
Alpecin–Premier Tech simply doesn't go through July without a win. Thanks to Mathieu Van der Poel’s victory this Sunday, the Belgian team, which has competed in the Tour de France since 2021, has achieved the feat of winning at least one stage in every appearance, bringing its total tally of stage wins to 15. The streak began during stage 2 of the 2021 edition, when Van der Poel himself triumphed atop Mûr-de-Bretagne, followed the very next day by Tim Merlier in Pontivy. Successes have followed thick and fast since then, notably thanks to sprinter Jasper Philipsen, the team's sole winner in 2022 (twice), 2023 (three times) and 2024 (three times). Last year, "MVDP," Philipsen and Kaden Groves kept the tradition alive.
59 : POGACAR IN FROOME’S LEAGUE
Tadej Pogacar will spend the first rest day of this Tour de France wearing the Yellow Jersey, the 59th time he has done so in his career. This milestone allows the Slovenian to tie Chris Froome and break into the top four riders with the most days spent in the coveted jersey. A spot on the podium of this prestigious ranking is within easy reach for the two-time world champion, as Miguel Indurain currently holds third place with 60 days in yellow between 1991 and 1995. However, the all-time record holder Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault remain far ahead, having worn the Yellow Jersey 111 and 79 times respectively.
2’44’’ : THE BEST START OF POGACAR
After nine stages, Tadej Pogacar has never been in such a comfortable position in the general classification. With a 2-minute-42-second cushion over his nearest rival Jonas Vingegaard, the Slovenian begins the second week of racing with the largest lead he has ever held at this stage of the Tour. While he previously trailed his compatriot Primoz Roglic by 44 seconds in 2020 (sitting 7th at that point before taking the Yellow Jersey on stage 20) and Vingegaard by 17 seconds in 2023 (sitting 2nd, which was also his final ranking), Pogacar had previously held a lead of up to 2 minutes and 1 second over Ben O’Connor after nine days in 2021.
8 : A DEPLETED BUNCH
The tough start in Barcelona and the first week of racing didn’t spare the 176 riders who set out from the city. Over nine stages, eight riders either withdrew or finished outside the time limit, a figure not seen at this stage of the competition since the 2022 edition, which saw 11 withdrawals, some due to the Covid pandemic. In the last decade, the highest rates after nine days were recorded in 2021 (16 retirements and time-limit eliminations, including 12 on the Tignes stage alone, ridden in freezing rain) and 2017 (15 retirements and time-limit eliminations, including 12 on the stage to Chambéry).
