​Belgian Tim Merlier dominated another sprint finish to clinch victory for the second day running, sealing stage eight of the Tour de France on Saturday. Merlier seemed to be out of contention as he found himself boxed in during the final hundred metres, but he unleashed a long-range burst that swept past his rivals, consigning Ethiopian Biniam Girmay to second place and Dutchman Olav Kooij to third. It marked Merlier’s fifth stage win in his third Tour appearance and brought him within 15 points of Dane Mads Pedersen in the green jersey standings for the sprinters.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve become the sprint boss yet, but if you win one, you can win a second, and I’m happy,” Merlier said. “Three sprint stages, I’ve won two. It’s definitely my Tour de France.”
Stage eight, routed through the Dordogne region famed for its thousand castles and ancient cave drawings, looked all but guaranteed to finish in a bunch sprint. A Belgian rider, Liam Slock, attempted to upset the expected order by launching a solo attack with 40 kilometres remaining, having spent most of the day in a three-man breakaway. He was eventually hauled back 1.3 kilometres from the line, and while former world champion Mathieu van der Poel did his best to position Alpecin-Premier Tech’s Jasper Philipsen for the win, Merlier proved too formidable once again.
“It didn’t feel like I was the sprint boss,” Merlier remarked when asked about the perception of his status. “I had to fight for my position all the time until the last minute. Just before the corner, I was a bit boxed in, and then there was almost a crash. I thought it was over, so I gave it a try to come back from the guys who did the lead-out. I was approaching with so much speed.”
In the breakaway, Slock had been joined by Czech rider Jakub Otruba, who had also been part of the break on Friday with Baptiste Veistroffer, and Frenchman Thibault Guernalec. The trio built a lead of more than two minutes at one point, including Slock’s bold bid for victory. Slock had recently become a social-media sensation after a separate victory at the Gippingen Grand Prix in Switzerland, where a celebratory crash on the final metres generated wide-sharing clips. His slide across the line on his side at Gippingen was celebrated by his Lotto-Intermarche squad in a humorous post, noting the unconventional finish.
On this day, the three-man breakaway also included Otruba and Guernalec, who, like Slock, had ridden strong in the earlier stages of the race. Their advantage fell away on the 2.2-kilometre Côte du Buisson-de-Cadouin, and the stage concluded with Merlier’s decisive sprint. Girmay crossed just behind, while Kooij charged forward but could not match Merlier’s final acceleration.
As the Tour moves forward, Merlier’s latest victory continues to keep the Belgian rider in the thick of the sprint competition. The victor’s remarks highlighted his persistence and focus: a reminder that in a race of narrow margins, strategic positioning and a final burst can define a stage destined for the bunch sprint, even when the rider appears briefly out of the running.