Stage 7 of the 2026 Tour de France takes the riders from Hagetmau to Bordeaux over 175.1 kilometres. After the fireworks in the Pyrenees, the sprinters should once again come to the fore, although there remains enough rolling terrain early in the day to make life interesting before what promises to be a fast finish in Bordeaux.
Stage 6 Review
The first major mountain stage of this year’s Tour certainly lived up to expectations.
The breakaway never really got established with UAE policing the front of the peloton and as anticipated, the focus was always going to be on the battle between the general classification contenders over the legendary Col du Tourmalet.
Once the race reached the Tourmalet, UAE Team Emirates XRG turned the screw before Tadej Pogačar launched another trademark acceleration. This time there was no response from Jonas Vingegaard, and Pogačar rode clear to take both the stage victory and the yellow jersey.
Behind him, Vingegaard limited his losses to finish second, while Isaac del Toro completed another excellent day for UAE Team Emirates XRG by taking third place.
Classification Update
Following his dominant victory on the Tourmalet, Tadej Pogačar now leads the Tour by 2 minutes 42 seconds from Jonas Vingegaard.
Isaac del Toro sits third at 3 minutes 27 seconds, with Remco Evenepoel fourth at 3 minutes 30 seconds and Juan Ayuso fifth at 3 minutes 34 seconds. French youngster Paul Seixas continues to impress in sixth place, 5 minutes 55 seconds behind the race leader.
The general classification betting now reads:
- Tadej Pogačar – 1.06
- Jonas Vingegaard – 10.00
- Isaac del Toro – 26.00
- Paul Seixas – 67.00
- Remco Evenepoel – 101.00
- Florian Lipowitz – 101.00
The Green Jersey battle remains firmly in the hands of Mads Pedersen, who leads the standings with 168 points, ahead of Max Kanter (93), Biniam Girmay (91), Jasper Philipsen (86) and Tadej Pogačar (75).
The latest Green Jersey betting is:
- Mads Pedersen – 1.67
- Jasper Philipsen – 6.00
- Biniam Girmay – 7.00
- Olav Kooij – 8.00
- Max Kanter – 12.00
- Tadej Pogačar – 17.00
Pogačar also strengthened his grip on the King of the Mountains competition following his Tourmalet victory. He now heads that market at 1.53, ahead of Lenny Martinez (5.00), Richard Carapaz (7.00) and Jonas Vingegaard (9.00).
In the Team Classification, Lidl-Trek continue to lead the standings by more than 27 minutes. The betting is now:
- Lidl-Trek – 1.83
- UAE Team Emirates XRG – 2.75
- Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe – 8.00
- Team Visma-Lease a Bike – 11.00
- Ineos Grenadiers – 34.00
- EF Education-EasyPost – 34.00
Stage 7 Profile
Stage 7 covers 175.1 kilometres and, despite featuring a few rolling sections, is one of the more straightforward stages of the opening week.
The riders leave Hagetmau on gently undulating roads before reaching the day’s only classified climb, the Category 4 Côte de Béguey, measuring just 1.2 kilometres at 4.4%. The climb comes inside the final 40 kilometres and is unlikely to create any meaningful selection.
The intermediate sprint arrives after 120.2 kilometres, giving the Green Jersey contenders another important opportunity to collect points before the race heads towards Bordeaux.
From the summit of the Côte de Béguey there are still more than 30 kilometres remaining, almost entirely on flat roads, making this an ideal run-in for the sprint teams to organise their lead-out trains.
What to Expect?
This looks like a textbook sprint stage.
There should once again be a small breakaway allowed up the road, but with so few obstacles and a long, flat finish into Bordeaux, it is difficult to see the escapees surviving.
The Green Jersey battle continues to develop, and Lidl-Trek will almost certainly want to keep the race under control to allow Mads Pedersen another opportunity to extend his advantage. Likewise, the teams of Jasper Philipsen, Olav Kooij, Tim Merlier and Biniam Girmay will all be keen to ensure the race finishes in a bunch sprint.
For the general classification teams, this should be a welcome opportunity to recover after the first mountain stage. With Pogačar now holding a healthy advantage, UAE Team Emirates XRG are unlikely to have any interest in making the race harder than necessary, leaving the responsibility of controlling the break firmly with the sprint teams.
Stage 7 Betting – click here for stage betting
Stage Winner Odds
- Tim Merlier – 2.25
- Olav Kooij – 3.00
- Jasper Philipsen – 5.25
- Biniam Girmay – 8.00
- Max Kanter – 15.00
- Mads Pedersen – 34.00
Verdict
This looks set to be another bunch sprint, and Tim Merlier is my selection.
Although he could only finish third on Stage 5, that performance was arguably better than it looked. He lost his lead-out train during the chaotic closing kilometres but still produced a powerful late sprint to claim third place, suggesting he remains one of the fastest finishers in this year’s Tour.
Assuming Soudal Quick-Step can deliver him to the final few hundred metres in a better position, I think he has every chance of going two places better here.
The World Sports Betting Money Back for Second promotion adds another layer of value. Should Merlier finish runner-up, your stake is refunded in the form of World Coins, making him an attractive betting proposition.
Suggested Bet: Tim Merlier to win Stage 7 at 2.25.
Tour de France 2026 – Stage Winner Money Back Promotion
Back any rider to win any stage of the 2026 Tour de France, and if your selection finishes 2nd in that stage, World Sports Betting will refund your stake in World Coins, up to R5,000!
Promotion Details
- Promotion period: 4 July – 26 July 2026
- Valid on pre-match single (straight) win bets only
- Bets must be placed before the start of each stage
- Refunds are paid in World Coins
- Maximum refund: R5,000 per account
- Only real money bets qualify (free bets excluded)
- Only one qualifying refund per bet
- Cash-out bets do not qualify
- World Coins are subject to the standard World Sports Betting Free Bet Terms & Conditions
- Accounts must be verified and in good standing
How to Claim
Simply email promotions@wsb.co.za with Subject ‘TDF Stage’ to claim your refund within 72 hours of the stage finishing.
Disclaimer: Prices were correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
