Arras to Roubaix (154KM)

A FLAT stage not to be missed, a mini Paris-Roubaix with 21.7km of cobbled roads, spread over 15 sections varying from 500m to 2.7km in length. And remember that Chris Froome crashed out of the race on the cobbles in 2014. Expect plenty of drama

EVERY cyclist at the Tour de France has today circled on their calendar. That’s when the world’s greatest bike race leaves behind the smooth asphalt and hits the often treacherous cobblestones.

Riders will try to stay upright as they bump and bounce their way over 15 cobbled paths scattered along 22 kilometers of the 156.5kms of Stage 9 from Arras to Roubaix, near the Belgian border.

For four-time champion Chris Froome and most of other title contenders, the ride over the cobbles is about surviving. The top riders who fight for every second on normal roads usually prefer losing time to risking a fall that could knock them out of contention.

As Movistar veteran Alejandro Valverde puts it, ‘You can’t win the Tour on the cobbles, but you sure can lose it.’

Fortunately for those without experience on the cobbles, the weather report calls for sun. Riders can then rest their backsides on tomorrow’s rest day before three stages in a row in the Alps.