Tour de France 2026: Merlier Hat-Trick on Stage 12 Crash 2026

The Tour de France 2026 stage 12 saw Tim Merlier complete a stunning hat-trick of sprint wins, but the day was overshadowed by a major crash that disrupted the peloton. Merlier’s third victory cements his status as the race’s top sprinter this year.

Stage 12 Sprint Results

Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) crossed the line first in 3hrs 38mins 53secs, ahead of Olav Kooij and Jasper Philipsen. The crash in the final kilometers forced several riders to lose time, but Merlier avoided the chaos to take the win.

Points Classification Update

Mads Pedersen still leads the points competition with 357 points, but his lead has been cut. Biniam Girmay (317) and Jasper Philipsen (311) are close behind. With no more sprint stages expected, Pedersen may pull away in the final two weeks.

• Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) – 357 points
• Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team) – 317 points
• Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) – 311 points
• Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) – 307 points

Yellow Jersey Standings

Tadej Pogacar retains the yellow jersey with a comfortable lead. Jonas Vingegaard is second at 3 minutes 36 seconds, while Remco Evenepoel sits third. The general classification remains stable after stage 12.

Top 10 GC Riders

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – 43hrs 04mins 01secs. 2. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +3:36. 3. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) +4:06. 4. Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) +4:22. 5. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) +4:35. 6. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) +4:44. 7. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +5:08. 8. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) +5:45. 9. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) +6:34. 10. Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) +11:49.

Big Crash Mars Sprint

The stage was marred by a heavy crash in the final kilometers that involved several riders. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported, but the incident disrupted the sprint train of some teams. Merlier’s ability to stay clear proved decisive.

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