Tim Merlier won Stage 12 of the Tour de France on Thursday, taking another sprint victory in a finish disrupted by crashes near the line in Chalon-sur-Saone, France. The Belgian rider continued his strong run in this year’s race with his third stage success of the edition.
The result also marked Merlier’s sixth career stage win at the Tour. In the final standings for the day, Dutch rider Olav Kooij finished second, while Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen came home in third after a tense run-in to the finish.
Several riders went down as the peloton charged toward the line, turning what had been set up as a bunch sprint into a chaotic conclusion. Even with the late incidents, Merlier was able to come through first and add another major result to his Tour campaign.
Although the stage produced drama among the sprinters, the overall standings remained stable at the top. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar held on to the race lead, ending Stage 12 still in control of the general classification.
