Tim Merlier claimed victory on stage 12 of the 2026 Tour de France, held July 16, after a turbulent sprint finish from Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours to Chalon-sur-Saone [1, 2, 3, 4]. He came from behind to beat fellow Belgian Jasper Philipsen and Dutch rider Olav Kooij despite a chaotic final sprint that included a late crash caused by Fernando Gaviria, which brought down multiple riders including stage 11 winner Soren Waerenskjold [1, 2, 3].
This marked Merlier's third stage win in this year's Tour and his sixth overall career stage win in the race [1, 3, 4]. Merlier explained, "I found some space and I launched," adding that he aimed to stay in front after being boxed in the previous day. He said, "Yesterday, I was really focused on the guys who were in the move, and that was the reason I was boxed in. Today, I tried to stay in front of them."
Merlier also revealed his team faced radio communication problems, saying, "My radio was broken, and I was busy because the other guys were all coming to me," which made coordination challenging during the finish [2]. He dedicated the win to his wife and young son, who watched him on the podium. He noted, "He is still young, but maybe he will remember it, and can watch it later. It’s extra motivation to win for them. This one is a special one, because they were here today" [1, 2].
Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar retained his dominant overall lead in the general classification, extending his advantage over Jonas Vingegaard to 3 minutes and 36 seconds after stage 12 [1]. The stage was widely considered the last flat sprint opportunity before the race moves into the mountain stages and an individual time trial, which typically reduce sprinters' chances [1, 2].
