Merlier Completes His Tour Hat-Trick as Gaviria's Heavy Crash Casts a Shadow Over Stage 12

Tim Merlier confirmed his status as the fastest sprinter at the 2026 Tour de France with another convincing victory in Chalon-sur-Saône. The Soudal Quick-Step rider claimed stage 12, his third success of this edition, after finding a way through a disorganised finale and producing the strongest acceleration in the closing metres.

The Belgian launched from behind after Milan Fretin and Jasper Philipsen opened the sprint. Merlier moved into clear air at the right moment and surged past his rivals, leaving Olav Kooij to take second place and Philipsen third. Biniam Girmay finished fourth, while Fretin completed the top five.

It was Merlier's 75th professional victory and completed an impressive Tour hat-trick following his wins in Bordeaux and Bergerac. His lead-out was not perfect, but he remained calm, changed wheels at the right time and once again showed that he does not need a textbook sprint train when space appears in front of him.

The sporting celebration was overshadowed by a high-speed crash approximately 400 metres from the finish. Fernando Gaviria went down while the sprinters were fighting for position, triggering a domino effect across the road. Søren Wærenskjold, winner of stage 11, Dorian Godon and several other riders were among those caught in the incident. Only a small group at the front escaped the pile-up and continued to contest the victory.

Gaviria managed to cross the line with help from teammate Stefano Oldani, visibly in pain and holding his left arm. Medical examinations later confirmed a fractured collarbone, bringing the Colombian's Tour to a premature end. His withdrawal is a major setback for Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, which had placed its hopes for a sprint victory on its experienced leader during the team's debut in the race.

The crash happened inside the final five kilometres, so riders who were delayed received the same time as the group they were with before the incident. As a result, there were no changes among the main overall contenders. Tadej Pogačar remains in yellow, 3:36 ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, while Remco Evenepoel holds third place.

Mads Pedersen finished ninth but retained a firm grip on the green jersey after collecting more points at the intermediate sprint. Merlier may be behind him in that classification, yet three stage wins leave little doubt about who has delivered the greatest raw speed in this Tour.

Chalon-sur-Saône therefore produced two contrasting images: Merlier celebrating another dominant sprint with his family nearby, and injured riders scattered across the finishing straight. His hat-trick strengthens his claim to be the leading sprinter of the race, but Gaviria's broken collarbone ensures that stage 12 will also be remembered for its painful conclusion.