Tim Merlier makes it back-to-back Tour de France stages with brilliant sprint in Bergerac

Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick-step) made it two wins on the bounce in wine country, closing a 10-rider deficit in the space of 250m, and sealing a superb second win in a row. With his late dart around his rivals, the Belgian proved himself not just the fastest man in the race, but the canniest and the most confident.

Indeed, the entire peloton left it late to ensure the stage even finished with its third bunch sprint of the week. The largely flat stage from Perigueux to Bergerac through the Dordogne was a carbon copy of the one from 2017 won by Marcel Kittel. 

The group gallop was viewed as such a formality that only a ”safe” breakaway was ever going to be permitted. Three riders, Liam Slock (Lotto Intermarche), Thibault Guernalec (TotalEnergies) and Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) were deemed sufficiently safe by the sprinters, but were never going to be granted much of a gap. 

For most of the day the clock stayed below two minutes, and for significant stretches was closer to one. Even as they rode well together in the blistering heat, the trio had enough in hand to fight with each other for the KOM and intermediate sprint markers. Slock came out on top on the first categorised climb, lost out to Otruba at the sprint, before hitting out over the top after claiming the single mountains point available at the Cote du Buisson-de-Cadouin. At the time, the Belgian presumably only had the day’s combativity prize in mind. Had he known how far he would go solo, he might have opted not to break up the band.

Inside 30km to go, Slock led by 90 seconds over the peloton, a more than manageable gap. Or it should have been, only the chasers barely brought it down over the next half an hour, taking just 15 seconds off. Additional firepower provided by XDS-Astana and NSN Cycling meant at at 10 kilometres from the Bergerac finish, Slock’s lead was down to a minute. After five more kilometres it had halved again. He kept up the fight but at 3km to go, the bunch was bearing down on him, finishing the job just before the flamme rouge. 

The trains of Astana, for Max Kanter, and Alpecin-Premier Tech, for Jasper Philipsen, were the most committed. Perhaps too committed. ”Astana had it pretty well timed. For us,” said Jasper Stuyven afterwards. ”They hit it a bit early, I think.”

But it was Mathieu van der Poel who looked to provide Philipsen with a superstar last-man lead-out, steering the bunch through the final right-hand bend before driving towards the line. It almost looked like he might get it done on his own.

Merlier was either out of position, or left it late. Whether by design or by accident, with 400m to go he was down in 10th with a sizeable gap to close. He put in an acceleration to rush the gap, before pulling out of the wheels 350m from the line. He then accepted the slingshot which drew him alongside the half dozen riders - trains and sprinters - at the head of affairs. At 250m he briefly returned to the saddle before launching his final kick past, around and full to the finish. Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling), having smartly opted for Merlier’s wheel for the final kilometre, accepted the armchair ride to the finish, but did not have the speed to come past and had to settle for second, his best stage result since the Tour’s opening day in Lille last year. 

Merlier’s smash-and-grab raid was described by Robbie McEwan as ”Kittel-esque” - the German rider having achieved the second to last of his 14 Tour stage wins in similar circumstances, on the same stretch of road.

There were no changes in the upper rankings of the general classification, as maillot jaune Tadej Pogacar and the rest of the contenders finished together. Slock was named the day's most combative rider.

I actually enjoyed today more than I was expecting to - well done to Liam Slock for making a good fist of things - but I think tomorrow is going to be even more fun. Fancy it, Fred Wright?

I'll be honest, the maillot jaune has barely crossed my mind all day. I think I mentioned Tadej sometime this morning? Anyway, I can't really be bothered to repeat what you already know, but safe to say there have been no changes in the top 10.

1. Mads Pedersen 228 points
2, Tim Merlier 213
3. Biniam Girmay 203
4. Jasper Philipsen 175
5. Max Kanter 172

Whoo boy it's tight at the top. Less than one intermediate sprint between first and third, which surely means Mads has to go up the road tomorrow if he wants to make a real campaign of this one. The same might be said of Biniam Girmay.

1. Tim Merlier 3'52'50"
2. Biniam Girmay
3. Olav Kooij
4. Jasper Philipsen
5. Pavel Bittner

He left it late, coming from so far back in the final 500m, 10 riders down, but his acceleration down the left was astonishing. Bini did well to pick his wheel but there was no coming round the Belgian.

Van der Poel gave Philipsen a world class lead-out up the hill to the line, but when he moved aside it wasn't the Belgian that came through but Olav Kooij. Suddenly, swinging into shot was Tim Merlier at furious speed, and no-one was going to beat him.

The sprint is on. Soudal lead through the tight last turn, looking to stretch it out, keep the pace high, and they all come round safely.

But Astana have missile lock. Ten seconds, which can be closed in a finishing straight. Penultimate right turn.

Which is why he mustn't. Across the bridge and it's less than 20 seconds, with his team surely bellowing in his ear. Allez Liam!

They might be nervous behind, but as Net Company and Astana bring their full force to bear, it's tumbling. Through the safety zone for the general classification, as Liam Slock fights on. He'd love some downhill.

And we can see the fatigue is starting to pile up on the body and mind of Liam Slock. He's lost 20 seconds in the last three. It's not happening I don't think. This long wide road isn't doing him any favoures.

As one of Slock's team-mates comes through to try to disrupt the chase. It's in the balance. "I'm afraid it's going to be that much too difficult for him" says Sean Kelly, pointing to the difference between his position and that of the fresh riders coming up through the bunch to help.

Two of their riders come to the front of the bunch to help bring this gap down. They have to, because they don't have a stage unlike Quickstep and Decathlon, and it's what they're here for. It's still 1'15 and if more team contribute, that could come down quickly. "They need more firepower" says Rob Hatch. "They do" agrees Adam Blythe. How much does Liam Slock have left? Who wouldn't tlisleo see him go all the way?

Two 90 degree turns in the last 2k. Yeah, it's technical.

Barely ten seconds has come off the gap over the last 10,000m, which is nothing like enough. It's got Rob Hatch "whisper it quietly"ing, and "what if"ing. Does he have a chance? Would he have more of one if he hadn't detonated the break? "The real test has to come in the next ten k" says Sean Kelly. I.e. We'll see.

The truth is, when the peloton really commits to bringing him back, they can take chunks off that gap. I still think it won't happen, but it's fun to fantasise.