'They look like pretty tough sprint stages to me' - Tim Merlier only sees four sprint chances at 2027 Tour de France

The Tour de France organisers have suggested there are seven flat stages in the 2027 route and so seven opportunities for the sprinters, but Tim Merlier is not convinced.

He expects he will have to suffer to try and win stages and may also have to share sprint leadership with Soudal Quick-Step teammate Paul Magnier, who is arguably better suited to the rolling stages.

"They look like pretty tough sprint stages to me," Merlier told Sporza in Paris. "I still have to take another look at the stages, but if we can sprint four times, that would be really great."

Stage 1 from Edinburgh to Carlisle is expected to give the sprinters a chance to take the first yellow jersey but the other British stages are hilly, with coast roads and climbs on other French stages. 

Stage 21 to Paris again climbs up to Montmartre, but stage 20 to Libourne near Bordeaux does offer a final sprint opportunity after suffering through the Pyrenees.

"It looks tough again," Merlier said, despite the early shot at yellow. "That chance is high, but there are 2,000 metres of elevation gain. That is no small feat," he pointed out of stage 1.

"Some stages go over 200 kilometres and those will take their toll. The level is very high and even a flat stage is super tough.

With a lower total of climbing, the chance of yellow would be greater, but I think it should be possible. In 2025, we slipped-up with the team in Lille, and I am glad there's another chance. As an athlete, you want to make up for a missed opportunity, but it doesn't come naturally."

Merlier has won six Tour stages during his career, in three different editions of the race. He is still one of the fastest and smartest sprinters in the peloton but faces internal rivalry from Paul Magnier.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has still to make his Tour debut but won three stages and the points jersey at the 2026 Giro d'Italia.

Soudal have focused on the Classics and sprints since letting Remco Evenepoel move to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and so will surely try to target multiple stages with Merlier and Magnier at the 2027 Tour.

"That might happen," Merlier admitted.

"It is possible that the team sees more opportunities for Paul. We get along very well and if we have to make a change, I can live with it."

"I have already discussed that with the team. Paul is still young and I have the feeling that he still looks up to me; he sometimes still asks for tips. He could learn a lot from it."

Despite his emphatic record in sprint stages at the Tour, Merlier has never made a concerted bid for the green jersey, and he admitted that isn't expected to change next July.

"The green jersey is not a big goal for me. The goal is to go for the stages," he said via LeTour.