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Stephen Farrand

'You have to take every opportunity you get' - After four days of suffering Tim Merlier is ready for first sprint of 2026 Tour de France

Tim Merlier Tour de France Tour France Tom Steels Biniam Girmay Cyclingnews Olav Kooij Decathlon Pau
Soudal Quick-Step team's Belgian rider Tim Merlier awaits the start of the 3rd stage of the 113th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 196 km between Granollers and Les Angles in southern France, on July 6, 2026. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP).

After four days of suffering in silence, the sprinters finally get a shot at victory at the 2026 Tour de France on stage 5 to Pau, with Tim Merlier's Soudal-QuickStep team ready to chase down any attacks despite forecasts of another hot day in the saddle.

As Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) targeted the stage victory in Foix, Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) joined the Dane in the break to fight for the intermediate sprints points. Merlier, on the other hand, stayed hidden in the peloton, tried to stay cool and finished in the gruppetto.

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