Tim Merlier Wins Second Consecutive Stage at Tour de France
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Tim Merlier won the eighth stage of the 2026 Tour de France, marking his second consecutive stage victory. Tadej Pogačar kept the overall lead after eight stages. The ninth stage will feature multiple climbs and offers breakaway opportunities before the rest day.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Tim Merlier wins the eighth stage of the 2026 Tour de France in a sprint finish.
- Merlier's victory marks his second consecutive stage win and fourth career Tour stage win.
- Tadej Pogačar retains the yellow jersey as overall leader after eight stages.
- Biniam Girmay finished second and Olav Kooij third in the eighth stage.
- The ninth stage covers 185.5 km with four categorized climbs and precedes the rest day.
- Jonas Vingegaard and Isaac del Toro hold second and third overall positions respectively.
Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier secured his second consecutive victory at the 2026 Tour de France by winning the eighth stage on Saturday. The 180.4-kilometer stage from Perigueux to Bergerac concluded with Merlier launching a powerful sprint about 400 meters from the finish line, crossing first in 3 hours, 52 minutes, and 50 seconds. Riding for the Soudal Quick-Step team, this marked Merlier’s fourth career stage win in the Tour.
Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay finished second, followed by Olav Kooij in third place. Jasper Philipsen, who lost the wheel of teammate Mathieu van der Poel during the lead-out, settled for fourth, while Czech rider Pavel Bittner took fifth.
Slovenian Tadej Pogačar retained the yellow jersey as overall leader after eight stages, holding a total time of 24 hours, 56 minutes, and 17 seconds. Jonas Vingegaard is second overall, 2 minutes and 42 seconds behind, with Isaac del Toro third at 3 minutes and 27 seconds back. Remco Evenepoel and Juan Ayuso occupy fourth and fifth places respectively.
The ninth stage is scheduled for Sunday, covering 185.5 kilometers from Mâcon to Oisly in central France. It features four categorized climbs, including one Category 2, two Category 3, and one Category 4 ascent. This stage offers opportunistic riders a chance to break away before the upcoming rest day.
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