Tim Merlier claimed his second consecutive victory at the Tour de France on Thursday, winning stage 6 in a bunch sprint in Dijon. The Soudal-QuickStep rider outpaced Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to take the win, with Van Aert retaining the yellow jersey.
Stage 6 Details
The 202.5-kilometer stage from Montargis to Dijon was largely flat, setting up a predictable sprint finish. Merlier, who also won stage 5, timed his sprint perfectly to beat his rivals. It was the first time since 2018 that a rider has won back-to-back stages in the Tour de France.
Reaction from Merlier
“It’s incredible to win again. The team worked so hard for me, and I’m just so happy to repay them,” said Merlier. “The finish was chaotic, but I stayed calm and found the gap.”
General Classification Update
Wout van Aert finished second in the stage and maintained his overall lead. In the general classification, Van Aert leads Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) by 1 minute 12 seconds, with Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) third at 1 minute 15 seconds.
Upcoming Stage
Stage 7 on Friday is a 176.5-kilometer ride from Dijon to Chalon-sur-Saône, another opportunity for sprinters. The Tour continues with several flat stages before the first mountain test next Wednesday.
