Tim Merlier secured his fourth career Tour de France stage win by outclassing his opponents in a bunch sprint during stage seven. The 175.1km flat course concluded in Bordeaux, with Norway’s Soren Waerenskjold finishing in second place and Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay taking third.
Merlier executed his final sprint with precision, overtaking Jasper Philipsen in the closing 100 metres to clinch the victory. The Belgian rider expressed gratitude toward his team, noting the difficulty of navigating the final position while leading the chase against the breakaway. This marks his third participation in the race, with the rider having achieved victories in 2021 and 2025.
Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar maintained his command of the general classification. Despite the flat route, the Slovenian protected his lead, holding a two-minute and 38-second advantage over Jonas Vingegaard. Isaac del Toro, Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG colleague, remains in third place, trailing by an additional 45 seconds. The peloton prepares for an 180.4km stage from Perigueux to Bergerac on Saturday, which is expected to favor the sprinters once more.
