Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier claimed a dominant victory in the seventh stage of the Tour de France on Friday, winning a mass sprint finish in Bordeaux after a 175-kilometre ride from Hagetmau through the southwest of France. Norwegian Søren Waerenskjold took second place, with Eritrean Biniam Girmay third. Reigning champion Tadej Pogacar retained the overall race leader's yellow jersey without difficulty.

Merlier, a 33-year-old from Kortrijk riding for Soudal-Quick Step, timed his effort to perfection in sweltering heat — temperatures reached 38°C in Bordeaux — to overhaul compatriot Jasper Philipsen and Girmay in the closing metres. Philipsen's Alpecin-Premier Tech team, led into position by Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel, had appeared to set up the ten-time Tour stage winner perfectly, but Philipsen launched his sprint too early and could not hold off Merlier's finishing speed. Philipsen ultimately finished fifth, behind German Max Kanter in fourth. It was Merlier's fourth career Tour stage win and the first Belgian victory of this year's race. Dane Mads Pedersen retained his lead in the sprinters' green jersey competition after finishing eighth.

The stage was largely uneventful for the general classification contenders, all of whom finished safely in the peloton. The day's breakaway was never seriously allowed to develop: Frenchman Baptiste Veistroffer and Czech rider Jakub Otruba escaped early but were reeled in with around 18 kilometres remaining, having never been given more than a minute and a half of leeway by the sprinting teams. For Veistroffer, it extended a remarkable run — the former triathlete had ridden 144 kilometres alone in a breakaway two days earlier, meaning he spent some 300 kilometres off the front over the course of three stages. Norway's Uno-X Mobility team, whose rider Torstein Træen had worn the yellow jersey for two days before abandoning after a crash on Thursday, repeatedly attempted to animate the peloton but without success.

Bordeaux, a major port city on the Garonne river in southwest France, has a storied history with the Tour, having hosted 81 stage finishes — second only to Paris. Merlier acknowledged the chaotic nature of the finale, saying the positioning in the final kilometre was "a mess," but credited his team for the lead-out. He also noted that Soudal-Quick Step and Alpecin were the only teams willing to chase down the breakaway. "I'm happy that it's not another team who won," he said. The peloton now moves toward further stages as the race continues to take shape around Pogacar's commanding lead.