On the eve of the first rest day of this 110th edition of the Tour de France, the riders had to climb the slopes of the Puy du Dôme, deciding factor of this ninth stage which returned to the Tour for the first time since 1988.
South-African rider Louis Meintjes, protected rider of team Intermarché-Circus-Wanty for the general classification, accompanied the favourites who opened the battle during the first hectometers of the final climb, around fifteen minutes after the early breakaway.
Thanks to his performance on the Puy de Dôme this Sunday, Meintjes won three positions and is now twelfth in the Tour de France at the end of the first week. The Walloon team is still complete to start the rest day on Monday.
"The final climb was ridden as a time trial, so high was the rhythm from the bottom to the top. From the first days in the Basque Country the level is exceptionally high. But now all riders start to feel the fatigue, I climb in the classification and again won a couple of positions in this ninth stage. In general, I'm satisfied about my performance during the first week. It is probably the first time I start the first rest day in such a good position. It is positive because I am not far away from the top ten, but on the other hand it won't be easy to plan an attack. The goal is to improve this position during the next two weeks. The game for the top ten will now truly start. The hardest stages still have to come and it will be a tactical battle."
