Race Report · Iss. 47JUL 16, 2026Chalon-sur-Saône · FranceBy Matt — 3 min read

Calm
in
Chaos

Lidl-Trek spent 40 kilometres trying to tear the sprint apart and a crash split the final kilometre — but Tim Merlier launched from deep to beat Kooij and Philipsen for win number three.

Read the Stage About the Grupetto

Distance

179.1km

Climbing

1,500m

Duration

3:38h

Avg Pace

49.1km/h

La grande boucle

Tour de France 2026Barcelona → ParisJul 4 – Jul 26

Today · Stage 12 · Magny-Cours → Chalon-sur-Saône

53.6%

11 / 21 stages1,779 / 3,321 km10 stages to Paris

Stage 0303

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Featured3 min16·07·26

Race ReportCover · Iss. 47

Calm in the Chaos: Merlier Completes the Hat-Trick in Chalon-sur-Saône

Lidl-Trek spent 40 kilometres trying to tear the sprint apart and a crash split the final kilometre — but Tim Merlier launched from deep to beat Kooij and Philipsen for win number three.

Read the full stage

Race Report

15·07·26 · Race Report

Last to First: Wærenskjold Wins the Fastest Stage in Tour History

Twenty-four hours after finishing dead last at Le Lioran, Søren Wærenskjold outsprinted Kooij and Philipsen in Nevers at 50.9 km/h — the fastest road stage the Tour has ever seen.

Race Report

14·07·26 · Race Report

Revenge Served at Altitude: Pogačar Solos to Le Lioran on Bastille Day

Two years after Vingegaard beat him on these very roads, Tadej Pogačar attacked on the Col de Pertus and rode alone to Le Lioran for his third stage win of the Tour.

Le Tour

13·07·26 · Le Tour

Onboard the Tour: First Week Highlights from Inside the Peloton

Nine stages from Barcelona to Ussel, seen from the best seat in the house — the onboard cameras. Watch the first week of the 2026 Tour from inside the bunch.

Étape 04

Kit Watch13·07·26

Kit Watch

Upside Down on Purpose: Red Bull's Lucky 13 Rest-Day Kit

Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe flipped their entire Tour de France kit upside down for the July 13 rest day — a one-off tribute to the team's 13th Tour and cycling's oldest superstition.

Van der Poel Outkicks the Break in Ussel

A 16-rider break, four survivors, one rising finish — Mathieu van der Poel launched at 200 metres and closed out the first week with a win in the Corrèze hills.

Merlier Again: The Comeback Sprint in Bergerac

Liam Slock was caught 1.3 km from the line, and Tim Merlier came from a seemingly lost position to storm past everyone for his second stage win in two days.

Merlier Fastest on the Garonne: Textbook Sprint in Bordeaux

After a long roll through the Landes pine forests, Tim Merlier delivered the most predictable result of the week in the least predictable sport — winning the bunch sprint in Bordeaux.

The Tourmalet Verdict: Pogačar Detonates the Tour

Pogačar attacked 5 km from the top of the Tourmalet and rode alone to the new summit finish above Gavarnie-Gèdre, putting 2:40 into Vingegaard and taking back yellow for good measure.

Cool Head in the Chaos: Kooij Takes His First in Pau

A crash at 5 km to go shredded the leadout trains, and Olav Kooij kept his nerve — launching early and holding on for his first Tour de France stage victory.

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Stage 0404

On the wire

Broadcast6 clipsChannel · 47

LIVE · ON-AIRSTG · 01 · 2:51

March 12, 2026

2:511080p · Stereo

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By the numbers

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Stories filed

Since we started this thing in a Montréal café, late 2024.

Kilometres ridden

0km

Reporting on the road — not from a press tent.

Coffees consumed

Mostly espresso. Some doppios. One regrettable Americano.

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Calm
in
Chaos

La grande boucle

From the peloton,
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