Tim Merlier secures his second victory in the Tour with a stunning comeback in Bergerac

Tim Merlier confirmed in Bergerac that when he finds space to unleash all his power, few sprinters can contest his victory. The Belgian from Soudal Quick-Step won the eighth stage of the 2026 Tour de France after completing an extraordinary comeback in the final meters and adding his second consecutive win, just a day after triumphing in Bordeaux.

 Slock nears the feat, but Merlier imposes his rule in stage 8 of the Tour

The 180.4-kilometer day from Périgueux ended in a sprint, but the outcome was very close to breaking the script. Liam Slock, the same one who a few weeks ago achieved his first elite victory by falling at the finish line,  held on solo until the last kilometer and forced the sprinter teams to maintain an intense chase until the end.

Merlier was not well positioned in the decisive straight. Jasper Philipsen seemed to have the advantage after navigating the last turn in a much more favorable position, but the Belgian champion launched an incredibly long effort from behind, overtaking rivals and finished crossing the line clearly ahead of Biniam Girmay and Olav Kooij.

Slock, Otruba, and Guernalec form the breakaway

After several initial moves, the breakaway consisted of three riders: Liam Slock, Jakub Otruba, and Thibault Guernalec. The peloton, mainly controlled by Soudal Quick-Step and Alpecin-Premier Tech, never allowed the gap to widen significantly.

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The maximum advantage hovered around two minutes, enough for the three attackers to accumulate kilometers at the front, but not enough for them to manage the stage calmly. Otruba won the intermediate sprint at Saint-Cyprien ahead of Slock and Guernalec, while Philipsen took the sprint from the peloton.

The breakaway also took advantage of the two fourth-category climbs. Slock was the first to crest the Côte de Domme and then took the initiative on the Côte du Buisson-de-Cadouin, where the break began to fracture.

Liam Slock is left alone and challenges the peloton

In the last categorized climb, Otruba accelerated first, but Slock managed to catch him and then left him behind. The Belgian from Lotto Intermarché then initiated a long individual time trial towards Bergerac.

With 25 kilometers to go, he maintained around a minute and a half. The chase was not fully organized, and for several kilometers, the margin barely decreased. Slock kept his aerodynamics, continued hydrating in the heat, and reached the last ten kilometers still with more than a minute.

The situation forced Decathlon CMA CGM and NSN Cycling to react, adding riders to the chase with Kooij and Girmay in mind. The pace increased when the Alpecin and Soudal trains also appeared.

Slock entered the last seven kilometers with about 40 seconds, but the false flat and the increasing speed of the peloton ultimately decided his fate. He was neutralized just before the banner of the last kilometer, after a performance that earned him the combativity award.

Merlier wins from an almost impossible position

The arrival in Bergerac included two tight turns in the last kilometers, the last one located about 500 meters from the finish. Max Kanter arrived well protected by XDS Astana, while Mathieu van der Poel took charge of positioning Philipsen again.

Merlier was much further back than expected when the group approached the final turn. Philipsen, after a brilliant launch from Van der Poel, surged ahead and seemed to have the situation under control, but the Belgian from Soudal Quick-Step launched an enormous acceleration from a distance.

Merlier gained positions during a very long sprint until he surpassed all his opponents. Girmay crossed second and Kooij finished third, while Philipsen, who had entered the straight in an ideal position, fell to fourth place.

Pavel Bittner was fifth, followed by Rick Pluimers and Pascal Ackermann. Tadej Pogacar completed the day without issues and retains the yellow jersey before the broken stage finishing in Ussel.

Top 10 of stage 8 Tour de France 2026

1. Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) – 3:52:50
2. Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team) +0
3. Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) +0
4. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) +0
5. Pavel Bittner (Team Picnic-PostNL) +0
6. Rick Pluimers (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) +0
7. Pascal Ackermann (Team Jayco AlUla) +0
8. Clément Russo (Groupama-FDJ United) +0
9. Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team) +0
10. Milan Fretin (Cofidis) +0