Tim Merlier wins Tour de France stage 12 in sprint; Pogacar retains yellow jersey

Belgian Tim Merlier claimed his third stage victory in the 113th Tour de France, winning the 12th stage in a sprint on Thursday in Chalon-sur-Saône. The Soudal Quick-Step rider outpaced Dutch cyclist Olav Kooij and fellow Belgian Jasper Philipsen at the finish line. The mass arrival was marred by a violent crash in the final meters involving riders like Colombia's Fernando Gaviria and France's Dorian Godon.

Overall leader Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia comfortably retained the yellow jersey. He holds a lead of 3 minutes and 36 seconds over second-place Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, and 4 minutes and 6 seconds over third-place Remco Evenepoel of Belgium. At 33 years old, Merlier has established himself as the dominant sprinter of this Tour with his three stage wins, once again disrupting the plans of Philipsen's Alpecin team.

Kooij, who also finished second on Wednesday, secured another podium finish, marking his fourth in the current Tour. The final 25 kilometers saw several attacks from small groups of riders, including American Quinn Simmons and his Lidl-Trek teammates. These attempts kept the sprinters' teams busy, particularly on the climb of Montagny-lès-Buxy, where Simmons, known as "Captain America," put up a strong resistance.

Despite the breakaway attempts, the sprinters' teams successfully controlled the race, ensuring a mass finish. This was likely one of the last opportunities for such an outcome. The Tour de France shifts back to the mountains on Friday with the climb of the Ballon d’Alsace, followed by two mountainous stages in the Vosges and the Alps before concluding in Paris.