Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Cycling News
Cycling News
Sport
Patrick Fletcher

Tour de France: Tim Merlier banishes bunch in Bordeaux for stage 7 sprint victory

Soudal Quick-Step team's Belgian rider Tim Merlier cycles to the finish line to win the 7th stage of the 113th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 175 km between Hagetmau and Bordeaux in southwestern France, on July 10, 2026. (Photo by Jeff PACHOUD / AFP).

Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) proved he could manage without his trusty lead-out man Bert Van Lerberghe, winning stage 7 of the Tour de France in a bunch sprint in Bordeaux.

Merlier started from too far back in the previous sprint stage on Wednesday, but, despite being a man down due to Van Lergberghe’s abandon, he floated beautifully in the hectic final kilometres before producing a devastating acceleration for the line.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.