A three-week Grand Tour will always contain natural ebbs and flows, and, for much of Monday’s stage between Valenciennes and Dunkirk, it looked as if the peloton had declared an unofficial rest day, with the riders happy to cruise back towards the coast after a weekend of wind, rain and intensity.

Tim Merlier clinched victory in stage nine of the Tour de France. He defeated Jonathan Milan in a sprint finish, following Mathieu van der Poel's remarkable effort. This win marked Merlier's second stage victory this year,

There was no change atop the overall standings with Tadej Pogacar now holding a 54 seconds advantage over Remco Evenepoel. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Ben Healy won stage six from Bayeux to Vire Normandie and his brilliant Tour continued with a third place on stage 10, from Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy in the Massif Central, enough to secure the race lead at the expense of the world’s best rider and three-time champion.