Tim Merlier wins chaotic bunch sprint in Bordeaux as Tadej Pogacar retains yellow jersey in Stage 7 of the Tour de France 2026

Tour de France

Stage 7 | Flat | Men | 10.07.2026

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HagetmauBordeaux

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19:27

HIGHLIGHTS: MERLIER TIMES LATE CHARGE TO PERFECTION IN STAGE 7 SPRINT

Highlights: Merlier times late charge to perfection in Stage 7 sprint

Video credit: TNT Sports

17:02

MAGICAL MERLIER WINS STAGE 7 WITH VINTAGE FINISH IN BORDEAUX

Belgium’s Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) kept up his winning record at the Tour de France with a magnificent sprint to take a deserved victory in Stage 7 on the banks of the Garonne in Bordeaux.

Merlier recovered from being boxed in on the home straight to power through the gaps and launch from the slipstream of Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Mobility), the Norwegian settling for second place ahead of Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team).

Germany’s Max Kanter (XDS Astana) and Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) competed the top five but there was no place for Dutchman Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM), who was unable to repeat his sprint heroics from Wednesday’s Stage 5 to Pau.

Philipsen, who won when the Tour last visited Bordeaux in 2023, looked on course for another victory after a trademark well-drilled lead-out by his Alpecin-Premier Tech team. But the Belgian was launched too early on the home straight by his Dutch pilot Mathieu van der Poel.

Struggling in a headwind, Philipsen and Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) clashed shoulders by the barriers on the right-hand side of the road – just as Merlier sniffed out a gap and launched from the wheel of the Danish powerhouse Waerenskjold to emerge from the chaos with a win to savour.

'He always wins!' – Merlier prevails in frantic Stage 7 bunch sprint

Video credit: TNT Sports

”We were the only team with Alpecin who were riding to take the breakaway back, so I’m happy that it’s not another team who won,” Merlier said after the fourth Tour stage win of his career.

The day’s breakaway was made up of just two riders, with France’s Baptiste Veistroffer and Czechia’s Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) attacking from Kilometre Zero of the 175km stage through the flat and forested Landes region of south-west France.

Their lead never growing above 1’30” as the temperature reached a scorching 36 degrees Celsius, the two escapees enjoyed their day out in the sun, with Veistroffer winning both the intermediate sprint and taking the solitary point over the day’s only categorised climb.

With large parts of the stage ridden in an attritional state of stasis, Uno-X on three occasions tried their luck to cause an upset – but each time, the Soudal and Alpecin teams of Merlier and Philipsen snuffed out the attacks from the likes of Jonas Abrahamsen and Anders Skaarseth.

The break was caught inside the final 20km while it was the Cofidis and Netcompany INEOS teams of Milan Frentin and Dorian Godon – who would finish thirteenth and eighth respectively – who controlled the pack as it crossed the Garonne for the last time with around three kilometres remaining.

But Philipsen’s Alpecin train soon assembled on the front of the peloton as history looked to be repeating itself in Bordeaux. Merlier, however, had other ideas.

”For a long time I couldn’t follow Jasper [Philipsen]. I lost him and I was boxed in everywhere and I said to myself that I needed to go back to Jasper,” Merlier explained.

”Then I got a bit more space but in the last 600 metres it was like boxing again. I told myself, ‘No, you’re going to fight to the finish,’ and I’m happy I could take it. It’s only my third Tour de France and in every participation I have taken a win, so that makes me proud.”

'A bit of toast' - Pogacar opens up about UAE 'party' after Stage 6 triumph

Video credit: TNT Sports

Denmark’s Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) could only finish in ninth place but took the maximum points available in the intermediate sprint behind the breakaway to consolidate his lead in the green jersey standings.

There was no change in the general classification with Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) retaining his 2’42” lead over Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) following his explosive performance in the Pyrenees on Thursday.

The 113rd edition of the Tour continues on Saturday with another chance for the sprinters to shine: the 180.4km stage 8 from Perigueux to Bergerac features just two Cat.4 climbs ahead of what is expected to be another bunch sprint royale between the peloton’s fastmen. A chance for Philipsen and his Alpecin train to get things right, perhaps.

16:35

PEDERSEN STILL IN GREEN BUT THE GAP CLOSES

With Tim Merlier bagging 70 points in that sprint, the Belgian rises four places to fourth in the points classification. Here’s how things stand now in what is shaping up to be a serious battle for green:

1. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 204pts
2. Biniam Girmay (NSN) 145pts
3. Max Kanter (XDS Astana) 140pts
4. Tim Merlier (Soudal-QS) 134pts
5. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) 126pts

16:32

KOOIJ NOWHERE TO BE SEEN IN SPRINT

Winner in Pau two days ago, Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) crossed the line in 23rd place today in Bordeaux. We’re not quite sure what happened to the Dutchman but he must have been so badly positioned that he didn’t bother with the sprint.

16:29

16:29

NO CHANGE IN THE GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

After the fireworks yesterday in the Pyrenees, it was a day off for the GC favourites who all finished safely in the pack. Tadej Pogacar retained his 2’42” lead over Jonas Vingegaard in the top 10.

16:27

MERLIER: I TOLD MYSELF TO FIGHT TO THE FINISH

The Belgian said it was like a boxing bout in Bordeaux out there as he swooped to the fourth stage win of his career. Was it the perfect sprint for Merlier?

Perfectly, I don’t know, because I launched my sprint [quite late]. It was a mess to be in position, but I made it thanks to the team – great work from them. After all the work two days ago, and today, we were the only team with Alpecin who were riding to take the breakaway back, so I’m happy that it’s not another team who won. For a long time I couldn’t follow Jasper [Philipsen]. I lost him and I was like in the casino – they boxed me in everywhere and I said to myself that I needed to go back to Jasper. Then I got a bit more space, some time to give the legs a bit of air, but then in the last 600 metres it was like boxing again. I told myself, ‘No, you’re going to fight to the finish,’ and I’m happy I could take it. It’s only my third Tour de France and in every participation I have taken a win, so that makes me proud.

16:16

STAGE 7 RESULT – TOP 10 IN BORDEAUX

A clean sprint, with no crashes… and some Merlier magic made the difference.

1 Tim Merlier (SQS)
2. Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X)
3. Biniam Girmay (NSN)
4. Max Kanter (Astana)
5. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin)
6. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain)
7. Huub Artz (Lotto)
8. Dorian Godon (Netcompany)
9. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
10. Tom Van Asbroeck (NSN)

After all their work on the approach to Bordeaux, Cofidis’ best result was Milan Fretin in thirteenth behind Bittner and Ackermann, and ahead of Gaviria.

16:12

NONCHALANT WIN FROM MR DEPENDABLE

When he sprints, he usually always wins. Merlier brushes both shoulders after crossing the line – was it ever in doubt? That’s his eighth Grand Tour in a row where he’s won at least a stage.

Philipsen went too early in the headwind, while Gaviria ran out of space between the Belgian and the barriers. Soudal Quick-Step got that just right.

16:09

METRONOMIC MERLIER WINS STAGE 7

It’s a vintage finish for the Belgian who bided his time and came good right at the last. Philipsen launched from the wheels of Van der Poel but then clashed with Gaviria by the barriers as Merlier powered through with Waerenskold, Girmay and Kanter in his slipstream.

16:07

FINAL KILOMETRE

Picnic PostNL and Netcompany doing their best to get involved but it’s still Alpecin and Soudal as they go under the flamme rouge.

16:06

2KM TO GO: ALPECIN GATHER

All of a sudden we have five Alpecin riders on the front for Philipsen. They mean business. But here come Soudal Quick-Step and Merlier...

16:05

3.5KM TO GO: STILL COFIDIS AND INEOS

Both teams have power in numbers on the front as they cross the bridge and hit the west bank of the Garonne. The other teams will need to get their acts together.