Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier won the ninth stage of the Tour de France in a mass sprint, while João Almeida dropped out of the race with a fractured rib.

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.

João Almeida, a key teammate of Tour de France leader Tadej Pogačar, is forced to abandon the race as Belgian Tim Merlier takes out a dramatic sprint stage.