“I couldn’t pedal anymore... I thought it was over” – Tim Merlier launches 300-metre sprint to seal back-to-back Tour de France wins
Cycling
Tim Merlier recovered from overheating, lost positioning and late chaos to claim his second victory at the 2026 Tour de France in as many days on Stage 8 in Bergerac.
The Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter charged from deep to edge out Biniam Girmay and Olav Kooij, following his Bordeaux success by moving to within just 15 points of Mads Pedersen in the green jersey classification.
From overheating to losing Stuyven’s wheel
Merlier’s difficulties began before the technical approach to Bergerac. The intense heat had taken its toll after the final classified climb, leaving Valentin Paret-Peintre to help cool his teammate as the peloton chased lone leader Liam Slock.
“After that final climb, I was overheated,” Merlier told Sporza. “I needed a moment to recover, but fortunately Valentin arrived just in time with ice and bottles of water. So I have to thank my team again.”
Slock was caught shortly before the final kilometre, bringing the sprinters together on an approach containing two sharp corners. Max Kanter had three XDS Astana teammates guiding him into position, while Mathieu van der Poel moved up with Jasper Philipsen on his wheel.
Merlier was much further back and struggling to follow Jasper Stuyven through the traffic. “It certainly didn’t feel as though I was in control,” he admitted. “I constantly had to fight for my position. Jasper remained so calm at the end. If it had been Bert Van Lerberghe, I would already have told him to get moving, but Jasper was playing PlayStation.”
The pair became separated inside the final kilometre as several trains converged before the last corner. Merlier was repeatedly forced to recover positions and feared the opportunity had gone.
“When I lost him in the final kilometre, I had to keep fighting my way back every time,” he explained. “I was being overrun and they almost crashed at the final corner. I thought it was over.”
Tim Merlier has two wins in two days at the 2026 Tour de France
Merlier turns rescue effort into second straight win
Merlier initially accelerated with the limited ambition of salvaging a strong result. His speed through the closing metres quickly presented him with a much bigger opportunity. “I tried to go for a good placing, but I was coming through with so much speed that, with 250 metres remaining, I just went for it.”
The Belgian swept past his rivals after launching from more than 300 metres out. Girmay finished second, Kooij took third and Philipsen was restricted to fourth despite entering the finale behind Van der Poel.
Merlier’s early acceleration left him with nothing in reserve as the line approached. “In the final 50 metres, I couldn’t pedal anymore.”
The 2024 European champion had entered the Tour targeting two stage victories and completed that ambition before the end of the opening week. “Definitely. I had hoped for two stage wins and I’ve achieved that. Once you win a first stage, a second often follows quickly.”
Merlier’s Bordeaux-Bergerac double has also transformed the points competition, lifting him from fourth to second and placing Pedersen’s green jersey firmly within reach.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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