Merlier gets his Tour de France hat trick in crash-marred stage 11 sprint
CyclingThursday, 16 July 2026 at 17:29
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Follow us on GoogleThe twelfth stage of the Tour de France was won by Tim Merlier. The Belgian from Soudal Quick-Step managed to beat Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) in a chaotic sprint marred by a hard crash. It marked his third stage victory in this Tour de France.
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What a bizarre finish we saw in Stage 11. The sprinters finally had another chance, but they handled it strangely. It wasn’t until two kilometers from the finish that the real sprint trains were formed, after which everything came to a standstill again in the final 500 meters. Søren Waerenskjold capitalized with a long sprint and was the surprise winner in Nevers.
We’ll be starting again in Nevers. At the famous Magny-Cours circuit, a former Formula 1 track, the peloton will set off for yet another sprint stage. With a few more obstacles than on Wednesday, but we’ll likely see a bunch sprint in Chalon-sur-Saône.
But the attackers, just like in stage eleven, saw their chance. It was a battle from the start, with names like Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), and Josh Tarling (Netcompany INEOS) trying their luck. However, Soudal Quick-Step and Alpecin-Premier Tech sent a rider along each time, causing the breakaway to fall apart. Who did manage to get away? Baptise Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché), of course.
Controversial intermediate sprint Pedersen
The Frenchman built up a two-minute lead and was the first to cross the line at the intermediate sprint. There, Mads Pedersen took the full points behind the lone leader, but he strayed from his line. He was summoned to the commissaires’ car and the sprint came under scrutiny, but in the end the green jersey wearer from Lidl-Trek got off scot-free. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) had to settle for second place.
After the intermediate sprint, the attack plans were drawn up once more. A brief, frantic attempt to break away followed, and three riders succeeded: Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious), Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies) and Ewen Costiou (Groupama-FDJ) pulled away and closed the gap on Veistroffer. This left us with four leaders, whilst the sprinters’ teams maintained control.
Punctures for the leaders, Veistroffer on his own again
Not long after the trio had caught up with the front runners, Veistroffer and Costiou decided to break away. Caruso and Guernalec were caught, but Veistroffer later left Costiou behind as well. The man who had been leading all day was thus the last to be caught. Meanwhile, Philipsen and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) suffered punctures, but were able to rejoin the race without any problems.
There were a few small hills in the final forty kilometres, and Lidl-Trek launched the final attack there. Quinn Simmons split the peloton and took several big names among the attackers with him. However, riders such as Filippo Ganna (Netcompany INEOS), Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) and Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) were accompanied by too many sprinters’ scouts: they were reeled back in.
But it marked the start of an offensive phase. Lidl-Trek gave it their all, with Simmons, Toms Skujins and Derek Gee-West among those leading the charge. Simmons even had time to give his father a high five in the middle of his attack! Even Pedersen and Philipsen joined in the flurry of attacks. The pure sprinters were put under pressure by the big engines. Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost) proved to have the most power.
Results Stage 12, 2026 Tour de France
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- Tough read but fair. Addy Engels’ quote felt spot-on: you can’t coach out that attacking DNA. Just wish the article gave more watts/heat index context—how hot was Le Lioran? Sin embargo, forza Julian, encore un effort!jennifer1916-07-2026
- Can someone explain how a rider can be outside the top 500 UCI but still get Tour leadership chances? Is that normal selection-wise or more about wildcard politics and his name value?jeremya16-07-2026
- He’s 34, had big crashes and mono rumors in past seasons, plus the heat—no shock he’s struggling on short climbs taken at threshold-plus. Still, GP Québec last year wasn’t a fluke. Let him hunt stages in cooler Alps days, not furnace stages.lindae16-07-2026
- Wait, he switched to Tudor in 2025, but we’re talking about this year’s Tour? Did you mean 2026 season or is the timeline off? Bit confusing tbh.samanthak16-07-2026
- Hard to watch but I still back Loulou. Heat’s clearly cooking him—he’s always been a punchy rider who thrives in cooler Ardennes conditions. If Tudor want results, target Canadian races and one‑day punchers again, not TdF GC scraps. Allez!michael5416-07-2026
- Short memory from some folks—he’s 29 and already won the Tour and Giro. The comeback arc is incredible. Still think he lacks that killer acceleración against Pogi/Jonas, but podium in a Grand Tour again? Sí, por qué no.gearguru3316-07-2026
- Love the honesty about the team being a bit of a mess. That’s refreshing. With Onley out and no clear mountain train, Egan’s reading of wheels has been spot on. Chapeau—he rides with cabeza now, not just legs.michael5416-07-2026
- Quick question: if Pogacar already has36 on Vingegaard, how does Bernal realistically move up? Is there a long time trial or a big mountain block where he can take minutes, or is this more about consistency and others cracking?pedalpowe2916-07-2026
- Not sure I buy the “going for GC wasn’t the plan” line. INEOS needed a leader the moment Rodríguez pulled out and Vauquelin misfired. Feels like back-filling the narrative a bit. Still, credit where it’s due—Bernal’s climbing is the best we’ve seen since pre-crash.bikebuffj16-07-2026
- Great to see Egan back sniffing around GC after everything he’s been through. His pacing on the last two summit finishes looked smart, never over the limit. If he can hold this level into the third week, a top 10 is on the cards. Vamos, campeón.davidm16-07-2026
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