Tim Merlier Claims Stage 12 Victory Amid Tour De France Chaos
WHO:
NBC Sports - Colombian rider Fernando Gaviria suffered a broken collarbone during the crash.
Cyclingnews - Jenno Berckmoes from Lotto-Intermarché also suffered a broken collarbone in the same crash.
NBC Sports - Tim Merlier, Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Olav Kooij, Jasper Philipsen, Fernando Gaviria, Soeren Waerenskjold, Baptiste Veistroffer
Cyclingnews - Tim Merlier, Mads Pedersen, Biniam Girmay, Jasper Philipsen, Baptiste Veistroffer, Damiano Caruso, Mattéo Vercher, Ewen Costiou, Quinn Simmons, Mathias Vacek
WHAT:
NBC Sports - Tim Merlier's victory in Stage 12 was his 75th career win.
Cyclingnews - Merlier's win came after he surged past Milan Fretin and Jasper Philipsen in the final 200 meters.
NBC Sports - The crash involved multiple riders, but none appeared seriously injured, and Gaviria crossed the finish line with assistance.
Cyclingnews - Mads Pedersen remains in the green jersey competition with 357 points, while Biniam Girmay has 317 points and Jasper Philipsen has 311 points.
NBC Sports - Gaviria must abandon the Tour de France due to his injury.
Cyclingnews - Liam Slock from Lotto-Intermarché sustained abrasions but is expected to continue in the Tour.
NBC Sports - Tim Merlier won Stage 12 of the Tour de France, marking his third stage win of the year and sixth of his career.
NBC Sports - Tadej Pogacar retained his overall lead in the Tour de France, 3 minutes and 36 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and 4 minutes and 6 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel.
NBC Sports - The stage was a 179-kilometer (111-mile) route from Magny-Cours to Chalon-sur-Saône.
Cyclingnews - Merlier won the sprint ahead of Olav Kooij in second and Jasper Philipsen in third.
Cyclingnews - Mads Pedersen continues to lead the green jersey competition with 357 points.
WHERE:
NBC Sports - The stage took place in Chalon-sur-Saône, France.
Cyclingnews - The race started from the Magny-Cours track in France.
WHEN:
NBC Sports - The race concludes with its traditional finish in Paris on July 26, 2026.
NBC Sports - The next stage, Stage 13, is scheduled to be the longest of the race at 206 kilometers.
WHY:
NBC Sports - Tim Merlier stated that having his wife and young son at the race “gave me a lot of motivation.”
Cyclingnews - Merlier expressed that winning on the day his family was present was "special."
HOW:
Cyclingnews - Tim Merlier faced radio issues during the race, which complicated communication with his team.
NBC Sports - Merlier described the final sprint as a "difficult one" and emphasized the importance of staying calm and finding space to launch his attack.
Cyclingnews - Dorian Godon from Netcompany Ineos sustained skin abrasions and muscular back pain but showed no evidence of concussion.
NBC Sports - Merlier described his strategy during the sprint, stating he had to "stay calm and wait" for the right moment to launch his attack.
Cyclingnews - Merlier noted that he had to navigate through a challenging sprint, focusing on positioning and finding space to launch his final effort.
Tim Merlier celebrated his 75th career win in Stage 12 after a thrilling sprint where he surged past Milan Fretin and Jasper Philipsen in the final 200 meters. Despite facing radio issues that complicated communication with his team, Merlier managed to stay calm during the challenging final sprint, emphasizing the need to find space for his attack. In the green jersey competition, Mads Pedersen leads with 357 points, followed by Biniam Girmay with 317 points and Jasper Philipsen with 311 points.