Tour de France 2026 Stage 9 Preview: Shortened Stage

Stage 9 of the 2026 Tour de France heads through the Massif Central to Ussel, but extreme heat in France has forced organizers to shorten the stage from 185km to 155km.

Even with the change, the route still features four categorized climbs and plenty of terrain for attacks.

In this preview, we break down the shortened stage, the heat factor, the climbs and why this could be a perfect day for the breakaway.

Strong riders like Quinn Simmons and Mathieu van der Poel could see this as one of their best chances to strike at the Tour de France.