Tour de France - Stage 12 Predictions & Betting tips - International

Prediction published on 15/07/2026, 18:37  by Matthew Newman | Modified on 15/07/2026 at 18:42

It’s another day for the sprinters on Stage 12 of the Tour de France as the peloton rides 179.1km starting on the famous motor racing circuit at Magny Cours. It is another flat stage so expect a breakaway to be kept to a controllable distance by the sprinting teams for the likes of Tim Merlier to pick up the win. 

Stage 11 was a bit of a mess with Soren Waerenskjold kicking on in the sprint earlier than expected while the big sprinters just sat back. As such, he stole it off the front with a smart ride. He is a decent sprinter but might be hard pushed to do it again. 

Olav Kooij chased him home, the sprint kicked off by his teammate who eased up when he realised Kooij wasn’t on his wheel, allowing Waerenskjold to escape. He has produced a consistent string of efforts so far in the route and looks set to be in the mix again. 

The big disappointment was Tim Merlier. Winner of three stages already, he could never find a path on which to challenge and ended up barely pedaling in the last 75m, sitting up with nowhere to go as the sprint evolved around him. We all know he’s better than that and it will give his team plenty of desire to atone.