
Tour de France 2025: Merlier Wins Stage 9 as Van der Poel's Breakaway Fails
The Tour de France's second-fastest stage was driven by factors like flat terrain, tailwinds, advanced aerodynamics, improved nutrition, and AI-driven performance optimization, with the race continuously speeding up over the years. The fastest stage ever was in 1999, but recent advancements have significantly increased race speeds.