The 2026 Tour de France had seven officially flat stages, and they told three different stories. Tim Merlier was the fastest sprinter in the race but never reached Paris. Mads Pedersen won the green jersey without winning a bunch sprint. And Alpecin-Premier Tech, quiet for two weeks, finished with a stage win for Jasper Philipsen and a one-two on the Champs-Élysées. This recap uses the official stage rankings and points classification from letour.fr.

Key Takeaways

• Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) won three stages, in Bordeaux (stage 7), Bergerac (stage 8) and Chalon-sur-Saône (stage 12), then abandoned on stage 15. His team called him "the best sprinter of this edition".
• Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) won the green jersey with 559 points, ahead of Philipsen (475) and Biniam Girmay (367). He took green after winning stage 4 at Foix from a small group.
• Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) won stage 5 in Pau, and Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) won stage 11 in Nevers.
• Alpecin-Premier Tech came good late: Philipsen won stage 17 in Voiron, and Mathieu van der Poel won in Paris with Philipsen second.
• Girmay finished third in green without a stage win.

The Seven Flat Stages

The Paris stage was 88.7 km with three ascents of the Butte Montmartre; van der Poel held off the bunch after a late move. Press reports said the route was shortened to a Paris-only course because of wildfires.

Where the sprints fitted into the race

The 2026 Tour started in Barcelona on 4 July and covered 3,320.7 km over 21 stages: seven flat, four hilly, eight mountain stages, a team time trial and an individual time trial, with rest days on 13 and 20 July. That left the sprinters few chances in the first week. The yellow jersey changed hands several times early on: Jonas Vingegaard led after stages 1 and 2, Pogačar after stage 3, and Uno-X Mobility's Torstein Træen after stages 4 and 5, before Pogačar took it back on stage 6 and kept it to Paris.

Merlier: Fastest, but Not in Paris

Merlier won three of the first five bunch sprints he contested and was the clear reference sprinter of the first two weeks. His Soudal Quick-Step team confirmed he abandoned on stage 15, the first big mountain stage after the second weekend.

Without him, the sprints opened up: Philipsen won stage 17, and the Paris stage went to van der Poel. Merlier's exit also ended any chance of a green-jersey fight; he was fourth in the points classification after stage 14, on 307 points, 90 behind Pedersen.

How Pedersen Won Green

Pedersen's green jersey came from consistency rather than bunch-sprint wins. He won stage 4 at Foix from a small group, which put him in green, and scored heavily at intermediate sprints and on hilly and reduced finishes.

Stage 9 shows his method: he scored 40 points that day, 25 for winning the intermediate sprint and 15 for sixth at the finish in Ussel, on a hilly stage won by van der Poel.

Philipsen: second in green

Through the first nine stages Philipsen's best result was fourth (stage 8). He placed third in Nevers and Chalon-sur-Saône, then won the stage 17 sprint in Voiron, and finished second behind his teammate van der Poel in Paris. That was enough to finish second in the points classification on 475.

Kooij, Wærenskjold and Girmay

Olav Kooij won in Pau on his Tour debut and was on the podium of four more flat stages (2nd at Nevers and Chalon-sur-Saône, 3rd at Bergerac and Voiron). He finished fifth in the points classification.

Søren Wærenskjold was second in Bordeaux and won in Nevers on stage 11.

Biniam Girmay was consistently close, second in Bergerac and third in Bordeaux, and finished third in green without a stage win. Press reports said the jury warned Girmay and Kooij for intimidation after the stage 8 sprint, without relegation.

How the Green Jersey Points Work

The points classification rewards riders who finish high on many stages, not just those who win sprints. Each stage pays points at the finish down to 15th place, and there is an intermediate sprint on each road stage; the official stage pages list a points scale for places 1–15 at the intermediate sprint, starting at 25/20/16/14/12. Flat stages pay the most at the finish, so sprinters can build up points quickly, but riders who can also score on hilly stages and in breakaways can accumulate more over three weeks.

That is exactly how Pedersen won. He was in green from stage 4 and never fell behind, because he kept scoring on the days when the pure sprinters could not.

The Sprint Teams

The official start list shows the riders who supported the main sprinters. The roles below come from the teams' pre-race selections and press reports, so treat them as indicative:

Van Lerberghe, one of Merlier's key lead-out riders, did not finish stage 6, and press reports credited Stuyven with stepping up for the Bordeaux and Bergerac wins.

The sprinters' bikes

The main sprint teams raced on different bikes and groupsets. These are the equipment partners listed on the teams' own websites; the photos in this article are official equipment and brand photos from these companies, not race photos.

On this split, Shimano-equipped teams won five of the seven flat stages: Merlier's three for Soudal Quick-Step and the two Alpecin-Premier Tech wins in Voiron and Paris. Kooij's win in Pau came on Decathlon CMA CGM's first season with SRAM, and Pedersen won the green jersey on a SRAM-equipped Trek. We did not check Uno-X Mobility's equipment, so Wærenskjold's win in Nevers is not counted on either side.

The numbers say more about the riders and their trains than about the components. Every one of these teams races on light, stiff aero bikes with electronic shifting and deep carbon wheels, and the differences between them are small compared with the difference that positioning, timing and a well-drilled lead-out make in the final kilometre. For amateur riders the same is true: a well-fitted bike you are comfortable sprinting on matters more than its brand.

Lead-Out Lessons for Amateur Riders

You do not need a WorldTour train to use the same principles in a club sprint or a group-ride town sign.

1. Position matters more than top speed. Merlier's wins came from being in the right place in the final kilometre. In a group ride, staying in the first few wheels before the final bend is worth more than a big effort from too far back.
2. Use the wheel in front. Kooij's stage 5 win came from following the right wheel into the final 200 metres. Drafting a strong rider saves energy for your own effort.
3. Time your effort. Sprinters often launch in the final 200–300 metres. Go too early and you fade; too late and you run out of road.
4. Points can beat speed. Pedersen's green jersey shows that consistency, intermediate sprints and results on hilly days can add up to more than outright speed.
5. Stay safe. The stage 8 jury warnings are a reminder that sprinting is about holding your line. In a group ride, never move across another rider.

The Bigger Picture

Tadej Pogačar won the overall race, with Remco Evenepoel second and Isaac del Toro third. 184 riders started and 158 finished. Several sprinters and lead-out riders did not reach Paris, including Arnaud De Lie (out after stage 2), Bert Van Lerberghe (out after stage 5), Fernando Gaviria (after stage 12), Merlier and Tom Van Asbroeck (after stage 14) and Pascal Ackermann (after stage 19). Jonathan Milan was not on the start list.

What we can learn from Kooij and Wærenskjold

Not every winner had the strongest train. Kooij won in Pau by following the right wheels, finishing ahead of Max Kanter and Merlier, and Wærenskjold took his chance in Nevers on a day when the fastest riders were watching each other. For amateur riders, that is encouraging: in a group sprint, good positioning and timing can beat raw speed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the green jersey at the 2026 Tour de France?

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), with 559 points, ahead of Jasper Philipsen (475) and Biniam Girmay (367).

Who won the most sprint stages?

Tim Merlier, with three: Bordeaux (stage 7), Bergerac (stage 8) and Chalon-sur-Saône (stage 12).

Did Merlier finish the Tour?

No. He abandoned on stage 15.

Who won on the Champs-Élysées?

Mathieu van der Poel, with his Alpecin-Premier Tech teammate Jasper Philipsen second.

Did Pedersen win a stage?

Yes, stage 4 at Foix, from a small group. That stage put him in the green jersey.

Which stages were officially flat?

Stages 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 17 and 21.

How many riders finished the 2026 Tour?

184 riders started and 158 finished, according to the official rankings.

Did any sprinter win more than one stage?

Only Tim Merlier, with three. Kooij, Wærenskjold, Philipsen and van der Poel won one flat stage each.

Was Jonathan Milan at the Tour?

No. He was not on the official start list.

Which bike did Tim Merlier ride?

Soudal Quick-Step races Specialized S-Works Tarmac bikes with Shimano groupsets, according to the team's partners page.

Who finished second in the points classification?

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), with 475 points, 84 behind Pedersen.

Verdict

The 2026 Tour's sprints rewarded different strengths. Merlier was the fastest finisher but could not survive the mountains; Pedersen won green by scoring everywhere; and Alpecin-Premier Tech saved its best for the final week. For amateur riders, the lessons are simple: position well, use the wheels, time your effort and hold your line.

Sources

• Tour de France 2026 overall route and stage rankings
• Tour de France 2026: stage 5 report
• Soudal Quick-Step: Merlier abandons
• Reported: Cyclingnews on the stage 8 sprint

Equipment mentioned in this article

• Shimano Dura-Ace FC-R9200 crankset
• SRAM RED AXS E1 rear derailleur
• Roval Rapide CLX II wheelset

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