On stage seven of the 2026 Tour de France, Belgian rider Tim Merlier seized a flat 175.1‑km sprint from Hagetmau to Bordeaux. He outpaced compatriot Jasper Philipsen in the final 100 metres, taking the win. Norway’s Soren Waerenskjold finished second, while Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay took third.

Merlier praised his team’s support, noting Alpecin’s presence enabled a breakaway that stalled rivals. “It was a mess to be in position, but I made it thanks to the team,” he said. This marks Merlier’s third Tour de France stage victory, with previous wins in 2021 and 2025.

Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar kept the yellow jersey with an advantage of 2 min 38 s over Jonas Vingegaard after a decisive Col du Tourmalet performance the prior day. UAE Team Emirates‑XRG teammate Isaac del Toro sits 45 s behind in third. Norwegian Torstein Traeen withdrew after a heavy crash while wearing yellow.

Stage eight will cover 180.4 km from Perigueux to Bergerac, set up for another sprint finish. Teams will target the next opportunity to shake up the general‑classification standings.