Girmay admits: "Merlier is the fastest at the Tour de France"

Biniam Girmay dove into Tim Merlier 's slipstream when the Belgian unleashed his devastating attack in the final 500 meters of the finish in Bergerac, but the Eritrean had no choice but to follow him, crossing the finish line in second place on stage 8 of the 2026 Tour de France. A bitter second place, but an honest one: Girmay bluntly acknowledged that the Soudal-QuickStep sprinter is currently the strongest sprinter in the Grande Boucle.

In the finish line standings, behind Merlier and Girmay, Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMS CGM) placed third and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) fourth, who was overtaken and overwhelmed by the group in the final stages of the sprint.

The race for position in the final kilometer was anything but smooth. Girmay told Eurosport: "We rode the last 500 meters at a crazy speed. It was the last moment and no one was slowing down." During the brawl, a Uno-X Mobility rider hit his handlebars, compromising his grip, but the Eritrean showed his courage by staying in the saddle and continuing to sprint without hesitation. "A Uno-X rider crashed into my handlebars. Luckily, I managed to keep my balance, but I lost a lot of speed. That cost me dearly..."

Asked if he could have won without the accident, Girmay made no excuses: "If I look at the way I sprinted, it was crazy, so I don't know if I would have won anyway. Merlier was incredibly strong; right now, he's simply the fastest." A clear and respectful response that speaks volumes about the maturity of the NSN rider.

The only consolation for Girmay comes from the points classification for the green jersey . With the 50 points earned for second place, the Eritrean climbs to 203 total points, closing in on the top spot: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) leads the standings with 228 points, while Merlier—driven by his stage victories—is second with 213. Girmay has just 25 points to close the gap on the Dane.

Despite his proximity to the green jersey, Girmay is clear about his priorities: "I want to win a stage, that's my first priority. I want to win a stage, and then I'll think about the green jersey."

Tips for Fantasy Cycling: Merlier confirms his position as the absolute benchmark in the sprints of this Tour, with two consecutive victories that make him an almost obligatory choice on good days. Girmay remains a top-level rider—capable of sprinting at 72 km/h even with damaged handlebars—and his consistent placings make him valuable for the points classification. Also keep an eye on Pedersen, who leads the green jersey but hasn't yet found the knockout punch. The upcoming sprint stages could hold some surprises, especially if Merlier encounters any tactical difficulties.