Tim Merlier made it a hat-trick of wins at the 2026 Tour de France taking the Stage 12 honours in what could well be the final bunch sprint of this year's race.
The Soudal Quick-Step rider – who had already secured successive victories on Stages 7 and 8 – came from well back in the closing metres to edge out Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) who finished second and third, respectively, for second day running.
It would cap a frustrating 24 hours for Philipsen who was relegated from third to 119th on Wednesday after being penalised for his riding during the sprint only to then be reinstated.
The Belgian looked set for victory here with his Alpecin team storming to the front with 1km to go only to be done for pace by countryman Merlier, who is enjoying the most successful Grand Tour of his career.
“It was a difficult one also yesterday,” said Merlier, who revealed the team had been suffering from radio problems during the stage.
“Today, I was really focused on the guys who were in the move yesterday, and that was the reason I was boxed in, so today, I tried to stay in front of them. Today I found some space. I needed to calm down and then launch again. I know it was a kind of finish that suits me.”
The second sprint day in the spin meant the general classification standings remain unchanged with four-time champion Tadej Pogacar remaining 3 mins 36 secs ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider was nowhere near a late crash that saw Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural-Seguros-RGA) crash hard, take down multiple riders near the front of sprint, including Stage 11 winner Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Mobility).
“Half of the bunch got knocked down in a very fast final. Scary images, but it seems like more or less everybody could finish the race,” Uno-X team manager Thor Hushovd told Cyclingnews.
“[Waerenskjold is] hurt everywhere, you know, sliding on the road at nearly 80km an hour, it's painful. “It's a shame because he was in good shape, but it's part of cycling.”
When asked after Wednesday's Stage 11, whether his current form was the best he has experienced at the Tour's halfway point, Pogacar was in no doubt.
“Honestly, yes, so far, I didn't have any issues or any problems, in general. Not just my physical shape, but also the surroundings – how you feel off the bike and how you sleep,” he said.
“I think in this Tour, just everything so far is so good, and at halfway into the race, the feeling is super good.”
Friday's Stage 13 returns to the mountains with the 205.8km run from Dole to Belfort, the longest of this year's race. The day's big challenge is a climb up Ballon d'Alsace – 8.9km at an average of 6.9 per cent – whose summit is 30km from the finish line.
Stage 12 results
1. Tim Merlier (BEL) Soudal Quick-Step 3:38:53
2. Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) ”
3. Jasper Philipsen* (Alpecin-Premier Tech) ”
4. Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team) ”
5. Milan Fretin (Cofidis) ”
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 43:04:01
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +3:36
3. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +4:06
4. Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) +4:22
5. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) +4:35
