​Belgium’s Tim Merlier rode to back-to-back triumphs by winning stage eight of the Tour de France on Saturday, after taking stage seven in a sprint on Friday. The Soudal Quick-Step rider navigated a chaotic finale in Bergerac to claim his fifth Tour stage victory, following a late surge that saw him reel in the field as they turned into the final 200 metres. With under 200 metres to go, Merlier moved to the front and held off Biniam Girmay to secure the win, his second in two days, while Dutch rider Olav Kooij crossed in third after winning his first stage on Wednesday.
“I’m happy,” Merlier said after the finish. “If you win one, you can win a second. Three sprint stages, I’ve won two—that definitely feels like a successful Tour de France.”
The victory also tightened Merlier’s grip on the green jersey battle, moving him within 15 points of Mads Pedersen. In the general classification, Tadej Pogacar continues to wear the yellow jersey, having maintained his overall advantage over Jonas Vingegaard during the flat 180.4-kilometre stage from Perigueux to Bergerac. The eighth stage in the Dordogne region wound past a landscape studded with more than a thousand castles and appeared, for much of the day, to favor a sprint finish.
After being part of a three-man breakaway for most of the day, Belgian rider Liam Slock finally went clear with 40 kilometres to go, only to be reeled in 1.3 kilometres from the line. Mathieu van der Poel did his best to shepherd Jasper Philipsen onto the home straight, but Merlier burst through to take the win.
“I had to fight for position constantly right up until the last minute,” Merlier added. “Just before the corner I was boxed in, and then there was almost a crash. I thought it was over, so I tried to come back with the lead-out guys. I was coming with so much speed.”
Stage nine was shortened due to an intense heatwave sweeping the Correze region, with organizers trimming Sunday’s route from Malemort to Ussel from 185.5 kilometres to 155.5 kilometres. The race results featured a number of notable rankings, including Merlier’s victory and Girmay’s continued contention near the front.
Final results (top highlights):
– Tim Merlier (Bel/Soudal Quick-Step) won in 3 hours 52 minutes 50 seconds
– Biniam Girmay (Eri/NSN Cycling) same time
– Olav Kooij (Ned/Decathlon CMA CGM) +2:42 behind
Other notable riders included Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Premier Tech), Pavel Bittner (Cze/Picnic PostNL), and Rick Pluimers (Ned/Tudor Pro Cycling), among others listed with their respective teams. The Tour continues to unfold with stage details and future standings likely to shift as the race progresses.