Pogacar extends lead with mountain demolition, Merlier wins Bordeaux sprint on Tour's seventh stage

Pogacar's mountain masterclass

On the first mountain stage of the 113th Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar delivered a brutal solo attack on the climb to Gavarnie-Gèdre. The UAE Team Emirates leader crossed the line with a margin of more than two minutes over all the pre-stage favourites, leaving his closest challenger Jonas Vingegaard more than two minutes in arrears. The 175-kilometre stage from Hagetmau to the Pyrenean cirque was raced in intense heat, but Pogacar appeared untroubled as he suffocated the peloton alone. The performance immediately raised the question among reporters on the ground whether the yellow jersey battle was already decided after only six days of racing.

After his victory on stage six, Tadej Pogacar has made an impression. But has his performance killed the suspense on this 113th edition? That is the question of the day.

Bordeaux delivers a bunch sprint

After the pyrotechnics of the mountains, the 175-kilometre seventh stage from Hagetmau to Bordeaux offered a calmer script. Heat rather than terrain was the main challenge for the 176 riders still in the race. Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick-Step proved fastest in the flat finish along the Garonne, beating Norway's Soren Waerenskjold of Uno-X Mobility and Eritrea's Biniam Girmay of NSN Cycling Team to the line. The result did not alter the general classification, leaving Pogacar's substantial lead intact heading into the weekend.

Seixas shines on his Tour debut

While Pogacar stole the headlines, 19-year-old French talent Paul Seixas delivered the best mountain result of his young career. Riding for Decathlon CMA-CGM, Seixas finished fifth on the stage to Gavarnie-Gèdre, mixing it with far more experienced grand tour contenders. He sprinted to the line for the position despite having no bonus seconds on offer, later writing in his daily road diary: "A small place at the finish, it's not bad." The performance drew immediate attention from the highest level of French politics.

A small place at the finish, it's not bad.

Macron offers encouragement

President Emmanuel Macron, watching the stage unfold in the Pyrenean heat, was moved to congratulate the young rider. According to reports, Macron was impressed by Seixas's composure and urged him to remain with his current Decathlon CMA-CGM squad. The president was quoted saying that Seixas "is in a beautiful team," a nod to the French outfit that has invested heavily in its development programme.

He is in a beautiful team.

What comes next

The Tour de France now leaves the Pyrenees behind and rolls through flatter terrain before the next mountain test. With Pogacar holding a commanding lead, the race narrative has shifted to whether Vingegaard can find a way back in the high Alps, while Seixas will aim to build on his breakthrough performance in the stages ahead.