Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Stage 9 of the Tour de France 2025 is a 174.1km flat stage from Chinon to Châteauroux.
The race route isn't hilly, but changes in direction towards the finish could lead to echelons.
Mark Cavendish won a lot in Châteauroux, and the race organisers are calling the finishing straight 'Cavendish Avenue'.
This is the race report for Stage 9 Tour de France 2025.
These are video highlights of Stage 9.
Race Details | Poll | Map & Profile | Timings | Videos | Food & Drink | Route Notes | Favourites
| Date | Sunday 13th July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Stage classification | Flat |
| Distance | 174.1km |
| Intermediate sprint | La Belle Indienne (Sérigny) |
| Climbs | None |
| Total climbing | 1,400m |
Vote for one of the main contenders to win Stage 9.
This is a map of the route of Stage 9, Tour de France 2025.
This is a zoom-able map of Stage 9 Tour de France 2025.
This is the profile of Stage 9 Tour de France 2025.
| Caravan | Fast Schedule | Slow Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Time (départ fictif) | 1110 |
1310 |
1310 |
| Start Time (départ réel) | 1125 |
1325 |
1325 |
| Intermediate Sprint La Belle Indienne | 1159 |
1356 |
1359 |
| Finish Line (174.1km) | 1528 |
1707 |
1728 |
This is a video of the route of Stage 9 Tour de France 2025.
Mark Cavendish has won a lot in Châteauroux - first in 2008.
He did it again in 2011, on the day when Bradley Wiggins fell and broke his collarbone.
The Manxman then completed his hatrick in 2021.
Stage 9 is from Chinon to Châteauroux, so it starts in the Loire Valley.
The Loire Valley is known for freshwater fish in beurre blanc sauce, a butter sauce flavoured with shallots and vinegar.
Goat's cheese is also a speciality, including varieties from Selles-sur-Cher and Sainte-Maure.
The Loire Valley is world-famous for its (mainly white) wines.
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The stage starts in Chinon (départ fictif).
Stage 9 starts in Chinon, on the river Vienne. The Vienne is a tributary of the Loire.
This area was popular with French Kings in the late 1400s and early 1500s. They built châteaux on the foundations of old fortresses, and constructed entirely new ones too.
Chinon is known for its château and old town, and for its wine. There are wine cellars carved into the soft tufa stone of the banks of the Vienne.
There was a Gallo-Roman fort here from the 400s.
A hermitage established by a follower of Saint Martin, Saint Mexme, was established around the same time. It turned into a flourishing monastery in the Middle Ages which lasted until the French Revolution.
King Henry II of England (from 1154), who was also Count of Anjou, established a court at Chinon. His grandson King John lost it to French King Philippe Auguste.
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The racing starts south east of Chinon on the D749 just beyond Rivière.
The peloton goes south to Le Coudray and Champigny-sur-Veude.
They continue south to Richelieu, designed as 'the ideal city' in the 1600s and named after Cardinal Richelieu. Richelieu had grown up in a village there, and he bought it and had it developed as walled town built on a grid of streets.
Then Stage 9 goes through Faye-la-Vineuse on the way to a hamlet called La Belle Indienne.
The intermediate sprint is at La Belle Indienne.
Green jersey competition: 20 points for 1st place down to 1 point for 15th place.
Where does the hamlet's name come from? Apparently a shop there used to sell cotton fabrics under the name Belle-Indienne, and the name was later applied to the whole settlement.
Stage 9 continues to Orches.
Next the race heads south east on the D14 to Sossay, past the Château de la Barbelinière to Thuré, then through Châtelleraut.
Châtelleraut is a town on the river Vienne, in the Vienne département. It was formerly part of the historic Poitou province.
It was known for cutlery and sword-making in Medieval times.
Between 1816 and 1968 a state-owned arms manufacturer operated here. It made the Lebel rifle that the French army used in World War I.
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From Châtelleraut, Stage 9 continues east on the D725 to Coussay-les-Bois, La Roche-Posay and Preuilly-sur-Claise.
The riders go further east, leaving the Indre-et-Loire département and pedalling into the Indre. They go through Azay-le-Ferron.
Azay-le-Ferron has a château belonging to the town of Tours, with a garden and park managed by the Brenne Regional Nature Park. One of the highlights of the park is an orchard with traditional local varieties of fruit tree.
The race is going through the Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne now. Next on the route are Paulnay and Mézières-en-Brenne.
Then the riders head east north east to Sainte-Gemme and Buzançais, on the river Indre. They then continue to Villedieu-sur-Indre.
There are another couple of zig-zags to bring the race to the D956, which heads south to Châteauroux.
Stage 9 approaches Châteauroux from the north on the D956 Avenue de Blois.
The riders cross the river Indre by the Château Raoul and continue on the Avenue with the most popular name in France - Charles de Gaulle. This takes the race over the railway line.
Then it's left onto Boulevard de Cluis and right onto Avenue de la Châtre.
Avenue de la Châtre is the finishing straight, with the finish line near Stade Gaston-Petit.
Green jersey competition: from 50 points for the stage winner down to 2 points for 15th place.
Time bonuses at the finish line:
The Stage 9 finish town is Châteauroux. Châteauroux is the capital of the Indre département, and it inhabitants are called Castelroussins.
The castle from which the town takes its name was built in the 900s by Prince Raoul. The present building dates from the 1400s.
The origins of Châteauroux are that monks came here in the 900s seeking refuge and built a monastery. Raoul built his fortress on the opposite bank to the monastery.
Philippe Auguste of France took Châteauroux in 1188. At that time, there were water mills along the Indre, producing woollen cloth.
A large number of refugees from the Spanish Civil War arrived here in Châteauroux in the 1930s. They were treated with some suspicion, but nevertheless housed and fed.
The shooting events at the 2024 Paris Olympics were held here, at an industrial park to the east of Châteauroux which is home to the National Shooting Sports Centre (Centre National de Tir Sportif).
Favourites for Stage 9 of the 2025 Tour de France will be the top sprinters. Unfortunately Jasper Philipsen crashed out of the race, and that leaves Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan as the fastest riders remaining in the Tour.
Wout van Aert and Kaden Groves were second and third respectively on Stage 8, and will want to do better on Stage 9.
Who do you think will win Stage 9 of the 2025 Tour de France?
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