The 2023 Tour de France witnessed an opening week for the ages with stage 9 up the mythical Puy de Dôme providing a fitting finale.
Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) seemed set to take a career-defining win on the volcano that hadn’t appeared at the Tour since 1988, before Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) bridged a two-minute gap across the climb’s final four kilometres and overtook the American, achieving something he’d always dreamt of, a victory at the Tour de France.
Behind, the GC battle ensued with the groups of favourites splintering as the inclines increased. Only Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) and Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla) could live with the two favourites, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), before our two protagonists decided it was time to show their hands and leave the rest in their wake.
Pogačar created separation from the Dane, but it wasn’t as significant as on stage 6 when he took back 28 seconds in the fight for the maillot jaune. Vingegaard by no means cracked, but it has left the situation poised with the last two Tour de France winners separated only by 17 seconds going into week two.
The remainder of the field came to the summit in ones and twos amidst the silence of their thoughts with no crowd to welcome them and only the sound of their breath, gears and the helicopter above to listen to.
Pro cycling photographer Chris Auld was present to capture the experience of the riders in the heat of the Massif Central atop the Puy de Dôme on stage 9. Enjoy his full-width shots in all their glory below.
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The remnants of the main peloton on stage 9, including Wout van Aert, struggling up the final kilometres of the Puy de Dôme
All smiles for Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) on his final Tour de France
Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) completes the Puy de Dôme in one of the groups of sprinters
Dani Martínez (Ineos Grenadiers) choosing to climb without race radio
This would've been one of the more unique climbs that John Degenkolb (DSM-Firmenich) has tackled in his nine Tour de France appearances
Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) basks in the heat of the Massif Central
Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) surging and suffering to second place on stage 9
Woods closing in on his maiden Tour de France victory atop the Puy de Dôme
Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) honouring his polka-dot jersey in the best way and fighting again the mountain's unrelenting gradients
Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies) grinning ear to ear on the Puy de Dôme
Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) giving everything in the final kilometre
Powless all alone and breathing heavy on stage 9
Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) snaking across the narrow road due to the steepness
Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) battles across gradients not typically suited to him
The Slovenian would finish third on the stage
Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) full gas trying to hang onto the GC favourites
A hot day in the saddle nearing its end for Marco Haller (Bora-Hansgrohe)
Burgaudeau on his absolute limit after a long day in the break
Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan) with his jersey unzipped, checking his head unit in search of more watts
Clément Berthet (AG2R-Citroën) finished fifth atop the Puy de Dôme on stage 9
David de la Cruz (Astana Qazaqstan) was the second of two Astana riders in the top ten on the stage, but a dropped chain in the final 25km lost him time
Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) completing the final climb close behind his teammate Patrick Konrad
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) emptying the tank to gain time on close rival Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)
Vingegaard was distance by Pogačar, but didn't fully crack and limited his losses to eight seconds on stage 9
Berthet chasing the sun on the Puy de Dôme
Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) had a career day out of the GC group and moved up to seventh overall ahead of the second week
Another look at Hindley with that tremendous backdrop of central France
The heat even forced Spaniard Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) to climb with his jersey unzipped
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) getting out of the saddle in the wheel of Felix Gall (AG2R-Citroën)
Kazakhstan national champion, Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan), finished seventh on the stage after a full day in the breakaway
Vingegaard gritted his teeth and ground all the way to the line
Lutsenko and De la Cruz got into the break the day after Astana lost their best chance at a stage win, Mark cavendish
Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich) rode on home roads on stage 9 but disappointingly finished over two minutes behind Pogačar and Vingegaard
Landa went deep into his pain threshold to hold onto 14th in the general classification
The end of a disappointing first week for David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) continued on the Puy de Dôme where he finished with Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ). He fell to eighth overall behind Pidcock
Bardet had great support on the roads, but he struggled in the head and on the inclines to stay with the GC favourites
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