Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier wins the ninth stage of the Tour de France in a thrilling mass sprint. The stage, held Sunday, covered 174 kilometers of flat terrain.

Tim Merlier secured victory in the ninth stage of the Tour de France with a thrilling sprint finish. Mathieu van der Poel's efforts were thwarted just shy of the finish. Despite Almeida's withdrawal due to injury,

João Almeida, a key teammate of Tour de France leader Tadej Pogačar, is forced to abandon the race as Belgian Tim Merlier takes out a dramatic sprint stage.