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

3: WHAT A HAT-TRICK
Winner at Chalon-sur-Saône at the end of a tempestuous sprint, Tim Merlier has triumphed for the third time this year at the Tour de France. The Belgian from Soudal – Quick-Step had already dominated his rivals at Bordeaux on the seventh day, then the day after at Bergerac. He is the second rider to achieve this feat in this edition after Tadej Pogacar, who has already won at Les Angles (3rd stage), Gavarnie-Gèdre (6th stage) and Lioran (10th stage). This success also allows Merlier to claim his sixth victory on the roads of the Grande Boucle, as many as Julian Alaphilippe.

73.1: THE MERLIER ROCKET
The sprinters and their lead-out men certainly did not have the opportunity to admire the Saône. On the docks of Chalon-sur-Saône, Tim Merlier completed the fastest final kilometre of this Tour de France in less than 50 seconds, that is... at an average speed of 73.1 km/h! In this flat finale, apart from the last hundred metres, the former European champion was well assisted by the trains of the various sprinters, particularly that of Alpecin – Premier Tech, which set a very fast pace. Without certainty of a bunch sprint and in the absence of a downhill finish, this record could hold until Paris.

28: HAT-TRICK, A BELGIAN HABIT
With his first hat-trick at the Tour, Tim Merlier is the 28th Belgian rider to sign at least one hat-trick in the Grande Boucle. Odile Defraye opened the list in 1912, while the last before him was Jasper Philipsen in 2023 and 2024. Eddy Merckx, the record holder in this ranking, achieved a hat-trick five times and also holds another record, that of the most prolific Belgian in a single edition. "The Cannibal" won eight stages in 1970 and 1974, as did Freddy Maertens in 1976.

75: A PROLIFIC SPRINTER
His list of successes continues to grow. Thanks to his victory, Tim Merlier has claimed the 75th bouquet of his professional career, all or almost all won in bunch sprints. The Belgian also surpasses his compatriot Remco Evenepoel, who is present at this year's Tour and who boasts 74 career victories. Among still-active riders, Merlier is also six wins away from Dylan Groenewegen (81 victories).

25: PHILIPSEN ON THE PODIUM
Back on the podium at Chalon-sur-Saône (3rd) just as the day before at Nevers, Jasper Philipsen climbs for the 25th time in his career onto the podium of a Tour stage. A 10-time winner (last time at Lille in 2025), the Belgian from Alpecin – Premier Tech finished second 9 times and third 6 times. The sprinter now has as many podiums as Louis Trousselier, Louison Bobet, Gino Bartali and André Greipel.

82: POGACAR EQUALS FROOME (AGAIN)
Still leader of the general classification, Tadej Pogacar equals Chris Froome for the second time in this Tour de France. Three stages after reaching him for the number of yellow jerseys worn, the Slovenian now possesses as many leader's jerseys from a Grand Tour as the Briton, reached at 82. A number that allows the double world champion to enter the top 5 of this ranking, thanks to 62 yellow jerseys and 20 pink jerseys from the Giro. But Pogacar will have to wait for another three-week race to hope to reach those ahead of him, since Miguel Induráin has 93 in his wardrobe.

3: THE COMBATIVITY BOAR
Baptiste Veistroffer likes to ride against the wind. At the front of the race for 120 kilometres yesterday, first alone and then accompanied by three other riders before being isolated again, the Frenchman won, as expected, the combativity award, his third since the start of the Tour. The Lotto Intermarchè rider, who has accumulated 421 km in breakaways on this Grande Boucle – thus imitates Marc Hirschi, who won three awards in 2020 (stages 9, 12 and 18), just as Ben Healy did last year (stages 6, 10 and 16). The Swiss and the Irishman were later elected "Super Combative", stepping onto the final podium in Paris.