Numbers, curiosities and statistics help us to re-read and delve deeper into what we experienced in yesterday's stage. Follow us:

4: AND ANOTHER ONE IN THE BAG!
The big winner in Bordeaux this Friday, with an average speed exceeding 70 km/h in the final kilometre, Tim Merlier signs the fourth stage victory of his Tour de France career. The Belgian from Soudal – Quick-Step claimed his first success in 2021, on day three in Pontivy, before raising his arms twice last year, in Dunkerque and Châteauroux. With this victory in the "sprinters' capital", the former European champion boasts an impressive wins-to-podium ratio, having missed victory only once when he stepped on the podium, finishing third in Pau this year.

4 + 4: TOUR AND GIRO, SAME BATTLE, SAME RESULTS
Winner in front of the Place des Quinconces, Tim Merlier has also claimed his eighth Grand Tour stage victory. He now has as many wins at the Tour as he does at the Giro. In Italy, the sprinter dominated his rivals in Novara in 2021, as well as in Fossano, Padova and Rome in 2024.

40: THE "WOLFPACK" ROARS
Soudal – Quick-Step continues to win in July. Tim Merlier has thus allowed his team to win at least one stage at the Tour de France since... 2013, fourteen consecutive editions! The streak began with Mark Cavendish's victory in Marseille that year. And no one else has managed to do the same. With their first opening success in Barcelona, Visma – Lease a Bike has won in the last ten editions (since 2017). Driven by the successes of Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro, the UAE Team Emirates streak has extended since 2020. Alpecin-Premier Tech hopes to continue on the path opened since their first participation in 2021, marked by the successes of Mathieu Van der Poel and Tim Merlier, who were wearing the same colours at the time.

68: SLOVENIA DRESSES MORE AND MORE IN YELLOW
With such statistics, Slovenia could consider adding yellow to its coat of arms. Thanks to Tadej Pogacar, who remains the leader of the general classification at the end of the seventh stage, the Eastern European country has accumulated no fewer than 68 yellow jerseys, all won since 2020. A number reached in 133 stages disputed since that date. And with more than half of the total recorded in this period, Slovenia is the most prolific nation in the last seven editions, ahead of Denmark (29) and the Netherlands (10). The three countries that have worn the yellow jersey most often, France (668 times), Belgium (455) and Italy (216), have respectively collected 5, 6 and 0 in the same period.

57: BORDEAUX'S LUCKY NUMBER?
Tadej Pogacar, who remains firmly in first place in the general classification, wears the yellow jersey for the 57th time in his career in Bordeaux. By chance and timing, it was precisely in this city that Miguel Induráin wore his 57th yellow jersey, in 1995! This number is certainly linked to the Tour and the prefecture of Gironde, given that Soudal – Quick-Step won yesterday the 57th stage in its history...

24: BELGIAN BORDEAUX
The dominance of Belgian cyclists in Bordeaux continues. Thanks to Tim Merlier, the "Flat Country" now counts 24 victories in the Gironde prefecture. After Joseph Van Dam, who opened the way in 1926, many of his compatriots have followed him such as the "Cannibal" Eddy Merckx (4 victories), Walter Godefroot (3), Freddy Maertens (1) and Jasper Philipsen in 2023. Belgium widens the gap over France (21 victories in Bordeaux) and the Netherlands (12).

497: A SYMBOLIC MILESTONE IS APPROACHING
Belgium is approaching a symbolic number, that of 500 victories at the Tour de France. Tim Merlier's success is the 497th for his nation, the first since Wout van Aert, winner in Paris in the final stage last year. The Belgian tally began during the first stage of the 1909 edition, won by Cyrille Van Hauwaert in Roubaix. Eddy Merckx made the greatest contribution, of course, with 34 victories.

2: VEISTROFFER IMITATES VAN AERT
Leading the race for 157 kilometres alongside Jakub Otruba, Baptiste Veistroffer was elected "most combative rider of the day" for the second time in this Tour de France. The Lotto – Soudal cyclist had already won this award during the fifth stage in Pau after a solo performance. With two "combative" awards in just seven days of racing, the Breton follows in the footsteps of Belgian Wout van Aert, who also won this award in the 5th and 6th stages in 2023.