The Belgian became just the third rider in the history of the team to score a hat-trick of wins at a single edition of the race
16-Jul-2026: Tim Merlier captured his third victory at this year’s Tour de France, in Chalon-sur-Saône, where the race returned for the first time in seven years. Victorious already in Bordeaux and Bergerac last week, Soudal Quick-Step’s 33-year-old was once again head and shoulders above his opponents as he powered to another win.
Considering everything that happened in the last 30 kilometers, it was also one of his most impressive victories of the season. Attacks flew left and right as many riders tried to apply pressure on the sprinters and tire them out on the small climbs spicing up the final part of stage 12. One of these moves looked really dangerous at one point, when the gap went up to 20 seconds, but Soudal Quick-Step – who controlled the stage from the start – was again dominant at the head of the peloton, shutting down all these attacks and keeping things together for a bunch sprint – the last one of this Tour de France.
In the chaotic last kilometer of the stage, Jasper Stuyven did a magnificent work when it came to guiding Tim through the peloton and putting him in a perfect position with 300 meters to go, from where the Belgian couldn’t miss. As soon as he found a gap, Merlier came around his rivals and delivered a pitch-perfect sprint in a pulsating finale for the tenth Grand Tour stage victory of his career.
“I knew it was the type of finish that really suited me. After yesterday’s disappointment, I was really focused today and remained calm and relaxed the entire time, even when Jasper said he was unsure if he could do the lead-out, because of a flat tire. The tire eventually sealed and the communication between us was better, and in the end I just did my best to finish it off. I’m happy to win three stages in a single Tour de France for the first time in my career.”
Stage 12
1 Tim MERLIER SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 03h 38′ 53” – B : 10” –
2 Olav KOOIJ DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM 03h 38′ 53” – B : 6” –
3 Jasper PHILIPSEN ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH 03h 38′ 53” – B : 4” –
GC
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) 43h04’01”
- Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma – Lease a Bike) +3’36”
- Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull – Bora – hansgrohe) +4’06”
