CHATEAUROUX, France (AP) — Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier won the ninth stage of the Tour de France in a mass sprint after Mathieu van der Poel spent the whole day at the front before being caught by the chasing pack less than a kilometer from the finish.
There was no significant change in the overall standings and three-time Tour champion Tadej Pogačar kept the race leader's yellow jersey.
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Stage winner Belgium's Tim Merlier crosses the finish line ahead of second place Italy's Jonathan Milan, wearing the best sprinter's green jersey, and third place Belgium's Arnaud de Lie, right, during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Netherlands' Mathieu van der Poel, right, and teammate Belgium's Jonas Rickaert, left, ride breakaway during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Netherlands' Frank van den Broek rides during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Stage winner Belgium's Tim Merlier celebrates as he crosses the finish line of the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Portugal's Joao Almeida retires from the race during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Portugal's Joao Almeida retired from the race during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Portugal's Joao Almeida retires from the race during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Portugal's Joao Almeida retires from the race during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Sunday’s stage headed into central France on a 174-kilometer (108-mile) flat stretch for sprinters.
But Van der Poel, a one-day classics specialist with a flamboyant style of riding, almost foiled their plans.
The Dutch rider joined his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Jonas Rickaert in an early breakaway and produced a tremendous effort over 173 kilometers at a speed of about 30 mph (48 kph) but could not go all the way and was swallowed less than a kilometer from the line.
"It’s hard not to be able to finish it off,” Van der Poel said.
Merlier won the sprint ahead of Jonathan Milan, the winner of Saturday's stage, with Arnaud De Lie completing the podium. It was Merlier's second stage win of this year’s Tour.
“I got boxed in a bit but then I managed to go all in and I was able to do my sprint like I wanted to and I’m happy to win my second stage here,” Merlier said. "It’s the second time I manage to beat Milan but he’s a really strong sprinter. It’s just nice we can show a nice battle between the two of us.”
In the overall standings, double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel remained 54 seconds behind Pogačar in second place. Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin was third at 1 minutes, 11 seconds, and two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard sat 1:17 behind in fourth spot.
Ealier in the stage, João Almeida, a key teammate of Pogačar, abandoned the race. Almeida, who fractured a rib during Stage 7, was dropped early and the UAE Team Emirates-XRG later announced over the race radio that the Portuguese rider had retired.
Almeida was caught in a high-speed crash earlier this week as riders scrambled for position at the front, 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the finish line. Almeida escaped without a concussion but his rib fracture finally proved to be too painful to carry on in the three-week race.
Almeida finished fourth at the 2024 Tour de France and started this year's edition on the back of strong results elsewhere, having won the Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie and Itzulia Basque Country.
The mountainous stage on Bastille Day from Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore features seven second-category hills or passes. The final climb has an 8% gradient.
“We expect a very hot, hard stage tomorrow,” Pogačar said. “There will be a huge fight for the break, as it’s the French national day and all French riders will want to put on a great show. It will be hard to control, but we will be up there paying attention to the other team’s moves. It’s not the hardest course, but it offers a lot of possibilities.”
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Stage winner Belgium's Tim Merlier crosses the finish line ahead of second place Italy's Jonathan Milan, wearing the best sprinter's green jersey, and third place Belgium's Arnaud de Lie, right, during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Netherlands' Mathieu van der Poel, right, and teammate Belgium's Jonas Rickaert, left, ride breakaway during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Netherlands' Frank van den Broek rides during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Stage winner Belgium's Tim Merlier celebrates as he crosses the finish line of the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Portugal's Joao Almeida retires from the race during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Portugal's Joao Almeida retired from the race during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Portugal's Joao Almeida retires from the race during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Portugal's Joao Almeida retires from the race during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 174.1 kilometers (108 miles) with start in Chinon and finish in Chateauroux, France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday voiced confidence of victory in Ukraine as he oversaw a military parade on Red Square commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II — a show that didn't include heavy weapons for the first time in nearly two decades.
Security was tight in Moscow as Putin and several foreign leaders attended the parade, which was scaled down even as a U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire eased concerns about possible Ukrainian attempts to disrupt the festivities.
Putin, in power for more than a quarter-century, has used Victory Day, Russia’s most important secular holiday, to showcase the country’s military might and rally support for his military action in Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
Speaking at the parade, Putin hailed Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, declaring that they “face an aggressive force that is armed and supported by the entire bloc of NATO," and are fighting for a “just cause.”
“Victory has always been and will be ours,” Putin said, as columns of troops lined up on Red Square. “The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valor, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge.”
But in a notable shift this year, the parade took place without tanks, missiles and other heavy equipment, aside from a traditional flyover of combat jets.
Officials explained the sudden change of format by the “current operational situation” and said that additional security measures have been taken in response to the threat of Ukrainian attacks. State television commentators said that the heavy weaponry was more needed at the battlefield in Ukraine.
For the first time, Saturday's parade featured troops from North Korea, a tribute to Pyongyang that sent its soldiers to fight alongside Moscow forces to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region.
Russia declared a unilateral ceasefire for Friday and Saturday, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a truce that was supposed to begin on May 6, but neither of them held as the parties traded blame for continuing attacks.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday that Russia and Ukraine have bowed to his request for a ceasefire running Saturday through Monday and an exchange of prisoners, declaring that the break in fighting could be the “beginning of the end” of the war.
Zelenskyy, who said earlier this week that the Russian authorities “fear drones may buzz over Red Square” on May 9, followed up on Trump's statement by issuing a decree mockingly permitting Russia to hold its Victory Day celebrations on Saturday, declaring Red Square temporarily off-limits for Ukrainian strikes.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov shrugged off Zelenskyy’s decree as a “silly joke.” “We don’t need anyone’s permission to be proud of our Victory Day,” Peskov told reporters.
Russia’s bigger and better-equipped military has been making slow but steady gains along the more than 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) front line. Ukraine has hit back with increasingly efficient long-range attacks, striking Russian energy facilities, manufacturing plants and military depots. It has developed drones capable of reaching targets over 1,000 kilometers (more than 600 miles) deep into Russia, far beyond its capabilities before 2022.
Russian authorities warned that if Ukraine attempts to disrupt Saturday’s festivities, Russia will carry out a “massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv.” The Russian Defense Ministry warned the civilian population there and employees of foreign diplomatic missions of “the need to leave the city promptly.” The EU said its diplomats wouldn’t leave the Ukrainian capital despite Russian threats.
Putin has used Victory Day celebrations to encourage national pride and underline Russia’s position as a global power. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in 1941-45 in what it calls the Great Patriotic War, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche and remains a rare point of consensus in the nation’s divisive history under Communist rule.
“We celebrate it with feelings of pride and love for our country, with understanding of our shared duty to defend the interests and future of our Motherland,” Putin said at the parade.
“Our soldiers suffered colossal losses, made a colossal sacrifice in the name of freedom and dignity of the peoples of Europe, became the embodiment of courage and nobility, fortitude and humanity, and crowned themselves with the great glory of a grandiose victory.”
Victory Day parades on Red Square have involved a broad array of heavy weapons — from armored vehicles to nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles — every year since 2008. Smaller parades are held elsewhere across the country, but this time many of them have also been pared down or even canceled altogether for security reasons.
The authorities on Saturday ordered restrictions on all mobile internet access and text messaging services in the Russian capital, citing the need to ensure public safety. The government has methodically tightened internet censorship and established increasingly stringent controls over online activities, causing rumblings and rare public expressions of discontent.
Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko attended the festivities in the Russian capital.
Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, a European Union member, laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial just outside the Kremlin walls but stayed away from the Red Square parade. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized Fico’s trip, saying, "I deeply regret this, and we will discuss his visit to Moscow with him.”
Speaking at a meeting with Putin in the Kremlin, Fico bemoaned what he called a new “Iron Curtain” in Europe that hampered trade, and emphasized the importance of Russia's energy supplies to Slovakia. Putin hailed the Slovak leader for conducting a “sovereign” foreign policy and honoring the memory of fallen Red Army soldiers.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Fico informed Putin about his discussions with Zelenskyy but didn't convey any message from the Ukrainian leader.
Russian servicemen march as they attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, centre foreground, attends a ceremony to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall inMoscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
Russian servicemen attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)
Russian servicemen attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (Shamil Zhumatov/Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, centre foreground, attends a ceremony to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall inMoscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
Russia's Su-25 jet aircraft release smoke in the colours of the Russian state flag during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (Shamil Zhumatov/Pool Photo via AP)
North Korea's servicemen attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
Russian servicemen march as they attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool)
Russian servicemen attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, centre foreground, attends a ceremony to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall inMoscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
North Korea's servicemen stand in a formation before the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool)
North Korea's servicemen wait for the start of the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool)
Russian servicemen stand in a formation before the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool)
Russian servicemen stand in a formation before the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool)
Russian servicemen stand in a formation before the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool)
Troops attend a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade at the Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
Honour guard soldiers prepare for a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade at the Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
Honour guard soldiers perform with rifles during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade at the Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
Troops march during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade at the Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
