The sprinters finally got their turn at the 2026 Tour de France, and a debutant tore up the established hierarchy. After a solo breakaway by Lotto Intermarché’s Baptiste Veistroffer was swallowed up with 14 kilometers to go, the sprint trains took over the transition stage from Lannemezan to Pau. Soudal Quick-Step and Alpecin-Premier Tech controled the pace for Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen, but the final five kilometers devolved into a crash-marred scramble. Caught behind the late pileup, Maillot Jaune wearer Torstein Træen of Uno-X Mobility was forced into a desperate chase to defend his overall lead while the fast men wound up the pace at the front.
When the sprint opened up on the historic streets of Pau, it was Decathlon CMA CGM’s Olav Kooij who blasted past everyone to steal the victory. Taking a stage win on his maiden Tour de France participation, the Dutchman left Max Kanter to settle for second and Merlier in third, while Philipsen—who won here in 2024—settled for fifth. Kooij’s massive effort hands the French outfit their 23rd Tour victory and breaks a bizarre team sprint success drought that dates back to 2004. Meanwhile, Træen managed to retain his yellow jersey despite the late scare, though his trial by fire arrives tomorrow as the peloton slams into the Pyrenees for a double-header over the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet.
Results
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