Tim Merlier crossed the finish line with his arms raised high in Bordeaux on Friday, winning stage seven of the Tour de France in spectacular fashion. The Belgian cyclist judged his effort to perfection in the final 100 metres, powering past his compatriot Jasper Philipsen to claim victory on the flat 175.1-kilometre route from Hagetmau to Bordeaux.
Merlier rode as part of the Alpecin team, and he credited his teammates for getting him into the right position despite what he called "a mess" in the chaotic sprint finish. "We were the only team who were riding to take the breakaway back, so I'm happy it's not another team who win," Merlier said. "It's only my third Tour de France. In every participation, I take a win, it makes me proud."
That quote tells you everything about Merlier's remarkable record. He has now won a stage in each of his three appearances at cycling's greatest race. His first Tour de France victory came in 2021, and he added another win earlier this year before Friday's triumph.
Norway's Soren Waerenskjold finished second, and Eritrea's Biniam Girmay took third place. Both riders pushed Merlier hard, but nobody had enough speed in those final metres.
Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia continues to wear the yellow jersey as the overall race leader. He holds an advantage of two minutes and 38 seconds over Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, with his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Isaac del Toro sitting in third place, another 45 seconds back. Pogacar has won the Tour de France twice before, in 2021 and again in 2025, and he remains the rider everyone else must beat.
The race continues on Saturday with another flat stage designed for sprinters: 180.4 kilometres from Perigueux to Bergerac. Merlier will likely be among the favourites again, hunting his second win of this year's Tour.