The biggest race of the year has started: the Tour de France. On Saturday, July 5, the peloton started from Lille, with the race set to conclude three weeks later with the (not so) traditional finish in the French capital,

Tim Merlier powered past Jonathan Milan to win stage nine of the Tour de France on Sunday, denying the green jersey holder back-to-back wins after Mathieu van der Poel's audacious solo attack ended in heartbreak just 700 metres from the finish.

Jonathan Milan couldn’t believe his luck after securing a maiden Tour de France stage win in Laval on Saturday. After the withdrawal of Jasper Philipsen in Dunkirk on Monday, it was seen by many as only a matter of time before Milan – dressed in the green jersey – had his hands in the air.