Merlier secures sprint hat-trick despite late attacks on Tour de France stage 12
It was another day for the sprinters, and Tim Merlier made his mark after surviving a barrage of attacks in the finale, claiming his third stage win of the Tour.
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Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) sprinted to victory on stage 12 of the Tour de France in Chalon-sur-Saône ahead of Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) to complete a hat-trick of stage wins.
The sprinters and their lead-out trains were forced to burn vital matches to secure the bunch finish. A relentless onslaught of attacks inside the final 35km repeatedly threatened to scupper the fast men's ambitions on the high-speed run-in to Chalon-sur-Saône, with Lidl-Trek orchestrating most of the chaos.
The late-stage fireworks ignited with 35km remaining when American champion Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) launched a stinging acceleration, forcing a high-powered 15-rider split that stayed clear for nearly 10 kilometres.
The race continued to explode in the final 20km on the approach to the Category 4 Côte de Montagny-lès-Buxy. A flurry of counter-attacks from Mattias Skjelmose, Derek Gee, and Toms Skujiņš (Lidl-Trek), alongside another massive dig from Simmons, eventually dragged a group clear on the climb.
However, the group would be reeled in over the crest, and on the descent and into the final 10km, there were more attacks, and even Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) tried multiple digs to snap the elastic of the sprinters in the bunch. The tables turned back in favour of a bunch sprint with 8km remaining, as the sprint trains swarmed to the front.
The Alpecin-Premier Tech surged to the front under the flamme rouge with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) launching the final lead-out for Philipsen. As the sprint was launched, there was a crash in the bunch, but out front it was Merlier who proved to be the quickest once more to claim his hat-trick stage win.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) remains in the yellow jersey, 3:36 ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike), while Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) sits third at 4:06.
How it unfolded
It was lights out at Magny-Cours as the peloton rolled out of the neutral zone on the iconic motor racing circuit.
A fierce, early battle ignited immediately. Multiple groups traded blows before breakaway specialist Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarchê) successfully forced his way clear with 152km remaining.
Veistroffer swept up maximum points at the Decize intermediate sprint with 132km to go. Behind him, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) spearheaded the peloton to claim 20 points, narrowly beating out Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Tim Merlier (Soudal–Quick-Step).
Brief panic struck the Lidl-Trek camp when the race jury placed the bunch sprint under review for a potential relegation. Pedersen was spotted in animated discussion with the commissaire’s car, but the officials ultimately cleared the Dane and allowed the points to stand.
Initially, it looked as though Veistroffer was destined for another solo expedition like his exploits on stage 5. However, reinforcements arrived with 122km to go as Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious), Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies), and Ewen Costiou (Groupama-FDJ United) successfully bridged across.
The newly formed quartet was kept on a tight leash, however, as Alpecin-Premier Tech, NSN, and Soudal–Quick-Step immediately seized control of the chase.
Inside the final 60km, Caruso and Vercher called off their breakaway efforts, and with 50km remaining, so did Costiou, leaving Veistroffer out front alone once more.
The race completely exploded with 35km remaining when American champion Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) launched a stinging acceleration as the road began to rise.
The American's effort formed a high-powered 15-rider split that quickly absorbed Veistroffer. With a visible lack of control in the main field, a flurry of counter-attacks triggered multiple groups to leap clear.
This dangerous move built a 20-second advantage on the run-in to the Côte de Montagny-lès-Buxy, but a fierce chase led by Soudal–Quick-Step managed to close the gap just before the foot of the climb.
The catch only served as a launchpad for further bedlam. Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) fired the next shot before Mattias Skjelmose and Derek Gee-West (Lidl-Trek) launched separate, probing moves designed to keep the pace punishingly high and burn the sprinters' legs.
Gee-West hit the lower slopes of the climb alongside Marco Frigo (NSN) with a slender advantage, before another large group of around 10 riders counter-attacked clear from the peloton
Lidl-Trek refused to relent. When that dangerous group was reeled in, Simmons tried to break clear once more, dragging another wave of riders with him. This latest move was eventually neutralised on the descent, prompting Pedersen to immediately push a brutal pace on the downhill.
Sensing a lull, Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost) launched one of his trademark solo moves with 15km remaining, though it was quickly brought to heel.
The relentless tactical warfare continued as Kévin Vauquelin (Netcompany-Ineos), Michel Hessmann (Movistar), and John Degenkolb (Picnic PostnL) were the next to go clear, triggering an immediate response as Pedersen, Asgreen, and Skjelmose launched vicious counter-attacks.
Passing under the 10km banner, Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost) made a bold bid for glory, before a tireless Gee-West tried one final, desperate dig with just over 8km remaining as the sprinters' teams fought frantically to re-establish order, which they were able to do.
Result: Tour de France stage 12
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