Alberto Contador, on the gravel stage of the Tour de France: "There can be breakdowns, crashes, punctures... you can lose all your chances in the GC"
Cycling
Eurosport analyst Alberto Contador, has given his opinion on the ninth stage of the Tour de France 2024. Starting and finishing in Troyes, the stage will be marked by the stretches of dirt roads that will dot a day that could end up being decisive for the men in the general classification.
The Spaniard warns Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and company of the danger of a day that can undoubtedly mark the future of the general classification. On the dirt roads the space is small and the assistance car can take a long time to fix a potential puncture and if it occurs in one of the gravel sections near the finish line the loss of time can end up being decisive.
"The ninth stage of the Tour de France is coming up, a stage that will be very important for the men in the general classification," Contador believes. Yes, the profile is flat, only four fourth-category climbs, but the tricky thing is that there will be 14 sections of dirt between Troyes and Troyes. We're talking about 32 kilometers of sterrato and the last 3-kilometer section is only 6 kilometers from the finish line."
"It will be a day in which the riders, especially those in the general classification, will have to be very well surrounded by their teams because mechanical breakdowns, crashes, punctures... can cause them to lose all options for the general classification. On the other hand, the attraction for the stage-hunters, riders who are very good on this type of terrain. I think we're in for a very nice stage."
We will see what ends up happening on a day in which, for all that has been said, surely there will be a lot of nervousness that can also cause falls by the many teams that will try to take their leaders in the lead at the start of each section.
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Article written by Juan Larra.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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🎙️ El análisis de @albertocontador de la 9ª etapa del Tour de Francia 2024 "Caídas, cortes, averías... en un día muy importante para los hombres de la general" #TDF2024 | #LaCasadelCiclismo
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