Stage 9

The road

At the start

To Naples, and the first rest day

Pogačar took Prati di Tivo in an uphill sprint and now leads Daniel Martínez by 2:40 and Geraint Thomas by 2:58. Christophe Laporte has gone home. Today is 209 kilometres from Avezzano to Naples, flat until it is not: a small climb at Monte di Procida and then a lumpy, twisting run along the bay, the kind of finale that punishes anyone who drifts backwards. Pogačar warned about it himself last night.

How it was won

1. 127 km to go

   Alaphilippe animates the Naples hills

   With 27km left Julian Alaphilippe throws himself off the front on the punchy circuits above Naples, going solo in a bid to escape the sprinters.

2. 27 km to go

   Narváez flies clear

   On the final hill Narváez, resplendent in the Ecuadorian champion's jersey, blasts past the fading Alaphilippe and opens a gap on the downhill run into the city.

3. 3At the line

   Kooij breaks Narváez's heart

   With Pogačar himself towing the chase in pink, the sprint launches late and Olav Kooij produces a stunning turn of speed to catch Narváez and pip Milan on the line for his first Grand Tour win.

The result