Tim Merlier wins Bordeaux sprint as Max Kanter finishes fourth

In the flat seventh stage of the 2026 Tour de France, running from Hagetmau to Bordeaux, Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier claimed victory in a high‑speed mass sprint. He was followed by Norway’s Sören Waerenskjold in second and Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay in third, while German debutant Max Kanter took fourth place. The race unfolded in temperatures nearing 40 °C, with riders battling heat and a narrow finish line.

German riders featured prominently: Phil Bauhaus finished sixth, Pascal Ackermann placed twelfth, and Florian Lipowitz, after a mechanical defect, ended the stage seventh. Overall leader Tadej Pogacar retained the yellow jersey. The stage’s results set up another sprint‑focused day on the route from Périgueux to Bergerac for the upcoming eighth stage.

Kanter reflected on his performance, saying: “We were a little too far back, didn’t have a proper spot, but we need to avoid the mistakes we made today.”