Merlier survives the final chaos and wins his third stage in the 2026 Tour

Tim Merlier once again demonstrated that he needs very little space to decide a finish. The Soudal Quick-Step sprinter triumphed in the 12th stage of the 2026 Tour de France, contested over 179.1 kilometers between the Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit and Chalon-sur-Saône, thus completing his personal hat-trick in this edition.

Tim Merlier finds the gap in a chaotic finish and signs his third victory in the 2026 Tour de France

The Belgian seemed to be in a worse position than several of his major rivals, but managed to carve his way through in the final meters and beat Olav Kooij and Jasper Philipsen. However, the finish was marked by a severe crash during the final acceleration that left several riders on the ground.

Merlier saves a compromised position

The approach to Chalon-sur-Saône was much more chaotic than expected for a stage practically designed for sprinters. Lidl-Trek tried to break the control with several moves in the last 20 kilometers, while different riders attempted to take advantage of the undulating terrain of the approach to anticipate the sprint.

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Quinn Simmons, Derek Gee-West, Mathias Vacek, and Mads Pedersen himself participated in several attacks that forced the teams interested in a mass finish to work hard. For several kilometers, the race took on a dynamic more akin to a classic than to a flat stage of the Tour.

Soudal Quick-Step, Alpecin-Premier Tech, and NSN Cycling finally managed to neutralize the moves, although the succession of accelerations disordered the trains. Merlier reached the last five kilometers practically accompanied only by Jasper Stuyven, while Alpecin-Premier Tech had more riders around Philipsen.

Philipsen's team chose to wait until very late. Mathieu van der Poel launched the Belgian in an apparently perfect position, but Merlier found a gap when it seemed he could get boxed in and surged ahead with more speed than all his rivals.

Kooij was the one who came closest with a final comeback, although he could not prevent Merlier from raising his arms for the third time in this Tour. Philipsen finished third, ahead of Biniam Girmay and Milan Fretin.

A strong crash clouds the outcome

The sprint was affected by a spectacular crash in the final meters. Fernando Gaviria lost control after making contact with Vlad Van Mechelen and went down as the peloton was racing at full speed.

The incident caused a chain reaction and affected other riders, including Jenno Berckmoes. Initial reports after the finish indicated that both Gaviria and Berckmoes were among the cyclists who had been most affected, although a definitive medical diagnosis had not yet been provided.

MERLIER RESISTS EVERYTHING

The Belgian withstands the attacks from Lidl-Trek first and a nasty crash in the sprint later to secure his third victory. #TDF2026 #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/1faApi7QBO

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) July 16, 2026

The crash occurred after an already complicated approach, with two tight turns between kilometers three and two to the finish. The teams had tried to reach that point in the front positions, which increased the tension and the fight for every available space.

Veistroffer challenges the peloton again

The stage began with numerous breakaway attempts and a battle that lasted longer than usual for a flat day. Baptiste Veistroffer was once again one of the most active riders and managed to break away solo after chaining several attacks.

Later, a breakaway formed with Veistroffer, Damiano Caruso, Ewen Costiou, and Mattéo Vercher. The sprinters' teams never allowed the gap to grow dangerously and kept the breakaway within a controllable margin.

Veistroffer accelerated in the second half of the stage, first alongside Costiou and then solo. His offensive ended when a large group with riders like Filippo Ganna, Mathias Vacek, Fred Wright, and Lewis Askey jumped from the peloton.

The pursuit and subsequent attacks kept the race open until the last 25 kilometers, but none of the moves managed to consolidate. The final regrouping led to a mass finish that Merlier resolved in his favor once again.

Merlier reaches three victories

The victory in Chalon-sur-Saône adds to those achieved by Merlier in Bordeaux and Bergerac. With three stage wins, the Belgian confirms himself as the most effective sprinter of this 2026 Tour de France.

It was also a particularly valuable victory because this 12th stage was marked as the last completely flat finish before Paris. The remaining opportunities for sprinters present more elevation or routes capable of favoring attackers and more resilient riders.

Tadej Pogačar completed the day without issues and retained the yellow jersey before the Tour toughens again on the way to Belfort and the subsequent mountain stages.

Top 10 of stage 12 of the 2026 Tour de France

1. Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) – 3:38:53
2. Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) – +00
3. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) – +00
4. Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team) – +00
5. Milan Fretin (Cofidis) – +00
6. Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) – +00
7. Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team) – +00
8. Clément Russo (Groupama-FDJ United) – +00
9. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) – +00
10. Huub Artz (Lotto Intermarché) – +00