Merlier wins sprint in Bordeaux – Pogacar defends yellow before eighth stage

Merlier's compatriot Jasper Philipsen, whose Alpecin-Premier-Tech team had led out the sprint, had to settle for fifth. Denmark's Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who wears the green jersey as the points leader, finished ninth but picked up additional points at the intermediate sprint in the battle for the points classification. Pedersen continues to lead the points classification with 59 points over Girmay.

As expected, there were no changes at the top of the general classification. Slovenian defending champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) continues to lead after seven of 21 stages with a 2:42-minute advantage over Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard (Visma – Lease a Bike). Third is Pogacar's Mexican teammate Isaac Del Toro at 3:27 minutes back. Belgium's Remco Evenepoel follows at 3:30 minutes in fourth, with Spain's Juan Ayuso at 3:34 minutes in fifth.

Classification and points standings

The race itself was largely controlled. In oppressive heat, two breakaway riders tried their luck but were never allowed to get far by the peloton and were caught about 18 kilometers from the finish. That cleared the way for the expected bunch sprint, in which Merlier showcased his class. For the Belgian, following victories in 2021 and last year, it is already the fourth Tour stage win of his career.

Merlier appeared relieved after the race and spoke in the finish-line interview about the chaotic final phase. "I started my sprint without knowing where the finish line was. There was chaos finding positions, but thanks to the great work of the team I managed to pull it off," the Belgian commented on the turbulent finale in the wine city on the banks of the Garonne. It was only his second stage win at this Tour, after finishing third in the first bunch sprint on Wednesday.

Reactions after the sprint finish

Bordeaux has a special relationship with sprint finishes in Tour de France history. In 1995 and 1997, German sprinter Erik Zabel won on the Garonne, then wearing the Telekom team jersey. With Merlier's victory, a Belgian sprinter continued the tradition, although this year's stage presented a special challenge not only sporting but also logistical: the organizers had to coordinate the finish on the Quai des Chartrons.

The peloton rolled across the line together, so there were no changes in the general classification. Austria's Felix Großschartner and Marco Haller remain in the midfield and, at 2:39 minutes back, in the upper portion of the general classification, respectively. Germany's Florian Lipowitz holds a solid top-ten position in eighth (+4:00), with France's Paul Seixas following in seventh at 3:55 minutes back.

Outlook for stage eight

Attention now turns to Saturday's eighth stage, covering 180.4 kilometers from Périgueux to Bergerac. This route also features no difficult categorized climbs, so another bunch sprint is expected. That gives the GC contenders around Pogacar and Vingegaard another stage to conserve energy before the second Pyrenean phase begins on Sunday with the stage from Lannemezan to Pau (158.3 km).

The total distance of the 113th Tour de France covers roughly 3,400 kilometers over 21 stages, from Barcelona, where the team time trial took place on July 5, to the traditional final stage on the Champs-Élysées on July 26. The race runs predominantly through France, starting in Catalonia and featuring mountain stages in the Pyrenees, the Vosges, and the Alps, before the peloton arrives in Paris.

After the calm eighth stage, the first mountain stage of the second week awaits on Sunday: the route from Lannemezan to Pau is considered a Pyrenean stage but lacks extreme climbs, so the overall favorites are likely to finish together. Things should get more exciting on Monday, when the stage from Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre (186.2 km) serves as the first true mountain stage of the second half of the race.

Overview of the remaining stages

Saturday's eighth stage starts in Périgueux, which serves as a stage town for the second time in Tour history. The finish in Bergerac, known for its wine production and medieval center, last hosted a Tour stage in 1994. The flat Dordogne region offers ideal conditions for the sprint teams, led by Soudal Quick-Step, Alpecin, and Lidl-Trek.

Before the start of the eighth stage, Merlier looks back on a perfect day. After finishing third in the first sprint of this year's Tour on Wednesday, he has now struck on his second attempt and proven he belongs among the world's elite sprinters. His teammate and lead-out man Bert Van Lerberghe had opened up the sprint in a less-than-ideal position, but Merlier still found a gap and used it.

The general classification after seven stages shows the typical picture of a race that has so far been dominated by the sprint teams and breakaways. Pogacar rides commandingly in yellow, without having faced any serious situation so far. Two-time Tour winner Vingegaard, in second, stays in contact with his rival, while Del Toro sits third as a young challenger for the future.

The average stage winner of the race so far has averaged around 50 km/h, underscoring the speed of this year's peloton. The Tour organizers are satisfied with how things have gone so far, even though spectator numbers along the route in Bordeaux did not reach the levels of previous years. The reason was the extreme heat, which kept many fans from waiting along the route for hours.

Tracing Tour history

Looking ahead to the upcoming mountain stages, everything points to an open duel between Pogacar and Vingegaard. The stage on July 24 from Voiron to Orcières-Merlette (185.2 km) as well as the queen stage on July 25 from Gap to Alpe d'Huez (127.9 km) promise high drama. But until then, the sprint spectacle in Bergerac is on the program – and another possible stage win for Merlier or his rivals.

The 2026 Tour de France marks the first start in Barcelona since 1992 and opens in Spain with a team time trial that UAE Emirates won convincingly. Organizer ASO had opted for this exceptional start to make the race more international. After seven stages and the transition to France, the logistical mammoth task has so far proceeded smoothly.