Tim Merlier out-sprinted Jonathan Milan to victory on stage nine of the Tour de France after Mathieu van der Poel almost pulled off an audacious win in Chateauroux.
Van der Poel had rolled off the front of the peloton alongside teammate Jonas Rickaert at the start of the 174km stage from Chinon in what looked like a certain suicide mission, but the Dutchman held off the chasing pack until the final few hundred metres.
