Merlier wins the Bordeaux sprint on stage 7 as Pogacar keeps yellow

Tim Merlier won stage 7 of the Tour de France on Friday, powering through a chaotic Bordeaux finale to claim the fourth Tour stage victory of his career as Tadej Pogacar comfortably retained the yellow jersey.

The 175.1km run from Hagetmau was always likely to end in a bunch sprint, and so it proved after a routine day in the southwest of France. Mathieu van der Poel delivered a trademark lead-out for Alpecin-Premier Tech, launching Jasper Philipsen inside the final 300 metres, but Philipsen could not hold on and was swallowed up. Merlier, guided into position by his Soudal Quick-Step team, timed his effort to perfection to come past. Norway's Soren Waerenskjold took second and Eritrea's Biniam Girmay third, all credited with the same time of 3:44:20.

"It was a mess to be in position, but I made it, thanks to the team," Merlier said. "It was great work from them." The win, his fourth at the Tour across three appearances, also rewarded Soudal Quick-Step, who had helped drive the day's breakaway back alongside Alpecin.

Nothing changed at the top of the general classification. Pogacar finished safely in the peloton to keep his lead of 2 minutes 42 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard, a day after his attacking masterclass on the Tourmalet. His teammate Isaac del Toro remains third and in the white jersey, with Remco Evenepoel and Juan Ayuso close behind in a tight podium battle.

There was a notable absentee: Torstein Traeen, who had worn yellow earlier in the race, abandoned after stage 6 with medical tests revealing multiple rib fractures and concussion following his crash. The sprinters get another chance on Saturday's stage 8 to Bergerac.