For a little while, it has seemed that Jonathan Milan‘s biggest rival for the Green Jersey at the 2025 Tour de France might be Tadej Pogacar himself. After Tim Merlier‘s second victory of the race on stage 9 though, the Soudal – Quick-Step sprinter has thrust himself right back into contention.After Merlier edged Milan in the sprint on stage 9 in Châteauroux, the European champion has surged up to 4th in the Points classification, 77 points down on Milan’s tally of 227. “It was a pretty tough stage with two strong riders at the front. We had to fight for a sprint and use all the guys racing through the wind. It made for a difficult sprint and I came second,” reflected Lidl-Trek‘s Italian powerhouse in his post-stage interview afterwards. “Of course I wanted more but sometimes we win, sometimes it ends up like this and we learn from it.”

“At the end of the stage, it’s easy to say we could have done some things differently. Maybe I could have stayed more on the wheels during echelons but I was worried it would split and then I would have ended up at the back,” Milan continues. “We spent too many guys, staying in the front positions, pulling from the start… And we missed them in the end. We’ll keep fighting for this jersey because Merlier is also coming closer.”


Points Classification Standings after stage 9 of 2025 Tour de France

1 –  Milan Jonathan Lidl – Trek 227 2 –  Pogačar Tadej UAE Team Emirates – XRG 156 3 –  Girmay Biniam Intermarché – Wanty 151 4 ▲2  Merlier Tim Soudal Quick-Step 150 5 ▼1  van der Poel Mathieu Alpecin – Deceuninck 128 6 ▼1  Turgis Anthony Team TotalEnergies 106 7 –  Vingegaard Jonas Team Visma | Lease a Bike 80 8 –  Groves Kaden Alpecin – Deceuninck 67 9 –  Evenepoel Remco Soudal Quick-Step 56 10 –  Onley Oscar Team Picnic PostNL 56 11 –  Simmons Quinn Lidl – Trek 56 12 ▲7  Penhoët Paul Groupama – FDJ 49 13 ▼1  Vauquelin Kévin Arkéa – B&B Hotels 48 14 ▲16  De Lie Arnaud Lotto 48 15 ▼2  Jorgenson Matteo Team Visma | Lease a Bike 47 16 ▼2  Wærenskjold Søren Uno-X Mobility 46 17 ▼2  Healy Ben EF Education – EasyPost 40 18 ▲2  Coquard Bryan Cofidis 40 19 ▼3  Grégoire Romain Groupama – FDJ 38 20 ▲5  Bauhaus Phil Bahrain – Victorious 37 21 ▼4  van Aert Wout Team Visma | Lease a Bike 36 22 ▼4  Rex Laurenz Intermarché – Wanty 35 23 ▲20  Bittner Pavel Team Picnic PostNL 34 24 ▼2  Ackermann Pascal Israel – Premier Tech 33 25 ▲3  Consonni Simone Lidl – Trek 33 26 ▼5  Andresen Tobias Lund Team Picnic PostNL 28 27 ▼4  Armirail Bruno Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 26 28 ▼4  García Cortina Iván Movistar Team 25 29 ▼2  Alaphilippe Julian Tudor Pro Cycling Team 24 30 ▼1  Storer Michael Tudor Pro Cycling Team 22 31 –  Abrahamsen Jonas Uno-X Mobility 20 32 –  Fedorov Yevgeniy XDS Astana Team 20 33 –  Van Moer Brent Lotto 20 34 ▲28  Meeus Jordi Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe 20 35 ▼1  Baudin Alex EF Education – EasyPost 19 36 ▲63  Rickaert Jonas Alpecin – Deceuninck 19 37 ▼2  Gall Felix Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 18 38 ▼2  Paret-Peintre Aurélien Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 17 39 ▼2  Yates Simon Team Visma | Lease a Bike 17 40 ▼2  Asgreen Kasper EF Education – EasyPost 17 41 ▼2  Leknessund Andreas Uno-X Mobility 17 42 ▼2  Haller Marco Tudor Pro Cycling Team 17 43 ▼2  Dainese Alberto Tudor Pro Cycling Team 17 44 ▼2  Trentin Matteo Tudor Pro Cycling Team 16 45 ▼1  Lipowitz Florian Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe 15 46 ▼1  Barta Will Movistar Team 15 47 ▼1  Martinez Lenny Bahrain – Victorious 15 48 ▼1  Affini Edoardo Team Visma | Lease a Bike 15 49 ▲22  Fredheim Stian Uno-X Mobility 15 50 ▼2  Skjelmose Mattias Lidl – Trek 14 51 ▼2  Tronchon Bastien Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 14 52 ▼2  Costiou Ewen Arkéa – B&B Hotels 14 53 ▼2  Russo Clément Groupama – FDJ 14 54 ▼2  Page Hugo Intermarché – Wanty 14 55 ▼2  Narváez Jhonatan UAE Team Emirates – XRG 13 56 ▼2  Thomas Geraint INEOS Grenadiers 13 57 ▼2  Gachignard Thomas Team TotalEnergies 13 58 ▼2  Tejada Harold XDS Astana Team 13 59 ▼2  Albanese Vincenzo EF Education – EasyPost 13 60 ▲10  Plapp Luke Team Jayco AlUla 13 61 ▼2  Berckmoes Jenno Lotto 12 62 ▼4  Capiot Amaury Arkéa – B&B Hotels 12 63 ▼3  Wellens Tim UAE Team Emirates – XRG 10 64 ▼3  Velasco Simone XDS Astana Team 10 65 ▼2  Johannessen Tobias Halland Uno-X Mobility 9 66 ▼1  Teunissen Mike XDS Astana Team 9 67 ▼3  Romeo Iván Movistar Team 9 68 ▼2  Zimmermann Georg Intermarché – Wanty 9 69 ▼2  Watson Samuel INEOS Grenadiers 9 70 ▼2  Laurance Axel INEOS Grenadiers 8 71 ▼2  Mayrhofer Marius Tudor Pro Cycling Team 8 72 –  van Sintmaartensdijk Roel Intermarché – Wanty 7 73 –  Jegat Jordan Team TotalEnergies 6 74 –  Powless Neilson EF Education – EasyPost 6 75 –  Delettre Alexandre Team TotalEnergies 6 76 –  Castrillo Pablo Movistar Team 6 77  Renard Alexis Cofidis 6 78 ▲8  Groenewegen Dylan Team Jayco AlUla 6 79 ▲21  Démare Arnaud Arkéa – B&B Hotels 6 80 ▼3  Drizners Jarrad Lotto 6 81 ▼3  Mas Enric Movistar Team 5 82 ▼3  Buitrago Santiago Bahrain – Victorious 5 83 ▲4  Sweeny Harry EF Education – EasyPost 5 84  Wright Fred Bahrain – Victorious 5 85 ▼5  Sivakov Pavel UAE Team Emirates – XRG 5 86 ▼5  Roglič Primož Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe 4 87 ▼5  Burgaudeau Mathieu Team TotalEnergies 4 88 ▲15  Valgren Michael EF Education – EasyPost 4 89 ▼6  Vermeersch Gianni Alpecin – Deceuninck 4 90 ▼6  Märkl Niklas Team Picnic PostNL 4 91 ▼6  Askey Lewis Groupama – FDJ 4 92 ▼3  Soler Marc UAE Team Emirates – XRG 3 93 ▼5  García Pierna Raúl Arkéa – B&B Hotels 3 94 ▼4  Hirschi Marc Tudor Pro Cycling Team 3 95 ▼4  Stewart Jake Israel – Premier Tech 3 96 ▼4  Rodríguez Carlos INEOS Grenadiers 2 97 ▼4  Van Wilder Ilan Soudal Quick-Step 2 98 ▼3  Neilands Krists Israel – Premier Tech 2 99 ▼5  Foss Tobias INEOS Grenadiers 2 100 ▼4  Touzé Damien Cofidis 2 101 ▼4  Stannard Robert Bahrain – Victorious 2 102 ▼4  Barré Louis Intermarché – Wanty 2 103 ▼2  Stuyven Jasper Lidl – Trek 1 104 ▼2  Oliveira Nelson Movistar Team 1 105 ▼1  Naberman Tim Team Picnic PostNL 1 106 ▲885  van Poppel Danny Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe -5 107 ▲884  Ballerini Davide XDS Astana Team -9 108 ▲883  Theuns Edward Lidl – Trek -13