Merlier Sprints to Second Straight Tour de France Stage Win
Belgian cyclist Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) claimed his second consecutive stage victory in the Tour de France on July 11, winning Stage 8 from Périgueux to Bergerac in a dramatic bunch sprint. Merlier came from the tenth position, overcoming a near-crash and being boxed in, to power past Biniam Girmay (Eritrea) and Olav Kooij (Netherlands) in the final 200 meters, according to the Tour de France official race report.
A Dramatic Sprint Finish
The 180.4-kilometer flat stage, featuring only 1,150 meters of elevation gain across two Category 4 climbs, was designed for the sprinters. The day’s narrative, however, was shaped by a determined breakaway. Belgian rider Liam Slock (Lotto-Intermarché) attacked just three kilometers into the stage, forming a three-man breakaway with Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Thibault Guernalec (TotalEnergies).
Slock went solo atop the Côte du Bouisson-de-Cadouin with 40 kilometers remaining, building a lead of 1’40” over the peloton. Despite the chasing efforts of multiple sprint teams, Slock held on until he was finally caught just 1.3 kilometers from the finish line. In the final kilometer, Mathieu van der Poel powered to the front with Jasper Philipsen on his wheel, but neither could match Merlier’s explosive acceleration.
“I didn’t feel like I was the boss. I had to fight for my position all the time, until the very last minute,” Merlier told the Tour de France. “I was a bit boxed in, I almost crashed, and for a second I thought the day was over for me. I gave it one last try to come back on the guys who did the lead out, and then I was coming with so much speed at 250 meters to go that it was worth sprinting all the way to the finish.”
Back-to-Back Dominance
The victory follows Merlier’s Stage 7 win in Bordeaux just one day earlier, making him the first sprinter to win two consecutive Tour de France stages since Jasper Philipsen in the opening days of the 2023 Tour. The back-to-back wins bring Merlier’s career Tour de France stage tally to five, as De Morgen reported.
“If you win one, it’s easier to win a second one,” Merlier said. “I’m happy I got two straight victories. My Tour de France is already a success.”
Biniam Girmay finished second, with Olav Kooij taking third and Jasper Philipsen settling for fourth. The result continues a pattern of Belgian sprinting dominance in this year’s Tour, with Merlier emerging as the fastest finisher in the peloton.
Race Context and GC Situation
Stage 8 was raced under extreme heatwave conditions affecting France, which Merlier described as making the effort “really difficult.” The extreme temperatures would later force route modifications for Stage 9 in the Corrèze department, as RTL Nieuws noted.
In the general classification, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates-XRG) retained the yellow jersey with a lead of 2:42 over Jonas Vingegaard. Isaac Del Toro sits third at 3:27. Mads Pedersen continues to lead the points classification for the green jersey.
Merlier’s Remarkable Season
The 33-year-old from Kortrijk has now amassed at least ten wins in the 2026 season, including victories at Scheldeprijs, Ronde van Limburg, three stages of the Tour de Hongrie, two stages of the Baloise Belgium Tour, and now two stages of the Tour de France. His 2025 season, in which he recorded 16 wins, was the best by a Belgian rider in nearly 50 years.
Merlier’s Soudal Quick-Step team has demonstrated a well-functioning sprint train throughout the opening week, giving them multiple stage wins and establishing Merlier as the dominant sprinter of the 2026 Tour.
What’s Next
As the Tour moves into hillier terrain, the question remains whether Merlier can extend his winning streak or whether the race will shift in favor of the climbers and puncheurs. The extreme heatwave continues to be a concern for rider safety and race organization, with potential route modifications possible in the days ahead. For Merlier, however, the mission is already accomplished: “My Tour de France is already a success.”