# Merlier wins second straight Tour de France stage after Slock falters

Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier claimed his second consecutive stage victory in the Tour de France, capitalizing after rival Slock's late surge diminished. The win solidifies Merlier's dominance in the sprint finishes and adds excitement to the race's narrative.

**Importance:** 3/5

## Sources

### Sports
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/11/tim-merlier-back-to-back-wins-tour-de-france-cycling) — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 16:09:56 GMT
- [BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cr5jy16nez3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 17:39:46 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/jul/12/tour-de-france-2026-stage-nine-updates-from-malemort-to-ussel-live) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:39:08 GMT
- [BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/c9v2wyw41vko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 17:18:07 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/jul/15/tour-de-france-2026-stage-11-updates-vichy-to-nevers-live) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:56:59 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/15/soren-waerenskjold-wins-fastest-ever-tour-de-france-stage-nevers-cycling) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:02:03 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/jul/16/tour-de-france-2026-stage-12-live-updates) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:49:25 GMT
- [BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cqx7jyewwnro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:12:01 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/16/tim-merlier-tour-de-france-2026-hat-trick-stage-12-crash-hits-sprinters-cycling) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:31:27 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/jul/17/tour-de-france-stage-13-live) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:33:59 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/17/tom-pidcock-surges-up-standings-while-mauro-schmid-wins-tour-de-france-stage-13) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:18:39 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/jul/18/tour-de-france-stage-14-mulhouse-to-le-markstein-fellering-live) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:46:28 GMT