ISSOIRE, France — Cyclists prepared to set off Sunday in the ninth stage of the Tour de France for a second straight day of climbing in the mountains with Thor Hushovd wearing the leader's yellow jersey.
Hushovd surprised himself by keeping the overall lead after Saturday’s eighth stage. The Norwegian sprinter, twice a winner of the Tour’s green jersey for best sprinter, leads by 1 second over Cadel Evans of Australia.
Sunday’s undulating stage takes the peloton on a 208-kilometer (129.2-mile) trek from Issoire to Saint-Flour in France’s Massif Central and features several category 2 climbs.
Monday is the first rest day following a crash-marred start to the race, which forced British sprinter Bradley Wiggins to pull out with a broken collarbone.
