Merlier's Chaotic Sprint Victory

Merlier Slips Through Traffic to Take Victory

Merlier's win was not clean or straightforward. He jumped from Milan Fretin's wheel and rode around traffic in the final meters to surge clear. Mads Pedersen started his sprint close to Merlier but faded all the way back to ninth. Kooij edged Philipsen for second — the exact same order as the day before, according to AJC.

The win was vintage Merlier. All three of his stage victories in this Tour came by finding gaps in disorganized, chaotic sprints. He repeatedly timed his move late, slipping past rivals when the peloton was strung out and in disorder. That pattern made him the most dangerous finisher in the race, per Newsy Today.

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Final-Kilometer Crash Disrupts the Sprint

The finish was marred by a major pileup with 500 metres to go. Fernando Gaviria hit the deck hard. Several other riders, including Soren Waerenskjold, were also brought down. The crash reshaped the sprint entirely, cutting off some riders before they could even contest the line, according to TSN.

Late crashes have haunted this year's Tour. The chaos in the final kilometer robbed riders of a clean battle and left teams scrambling. Those caught behind the pile-up had no chance to sprint for the finish, per Winnipeg Free Press.

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Breakaway Fades as Peloton Splinters Late

The stage did not start quietly. Baptiste Veistroffer launched a solo break roughly 25 kilometers in. Three other riders counter-attacked and joined him around the 57-kilometer mark. But all four faded well before the finish. The peloton swallowed them up and then broke apart itself in the closing kilometers, according to NBC Sports.

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Pogacar Protects Lead With Eye on the Mountains

Pogacar did not need to fight for stage honors. He rode safely through the sprint chaos and extended his overall lead to 3 minutes and 36 seconds over Vingegaard. Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso, and Paul Seixas round out the top five in the general classification, per AJC.

The strategy is clear. Pogacar is protecting his lead and avoiding unnecessary risks on sprint days. Stage 13 heads back into the mountains with a steady climb to Ballon d'Alsace. That is where the race is expected to come alive again — and where Pogacar will look to push his advantage even further, according to TSN.

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