The 2026 Tour de France includes seven flat stages, according to organiser ASO, but Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) counted just six after looking at the route map, knowing the fast finishers face a battle of survival in the Alps if they are to have an outside chance at a final sprint win in Paris.
Merlier won two stages in the 2025 Tour, battling with Jonathan Milan, who also won twice and the green points jersey. The placing of late climbs and then attacks and aggressive racing from Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel limited the sprinters' chances in 2025. The addition of the climb to Montmartre made stage 21 to Paris a day for the attackers, with Wout van Aert winning via a late solo attack.
