Belgium's Merlier edges Milan in photo finish after crash-marred Tour stage
The Soudal Quick-Step rider needed a photo finish to confirm he ended narrowly in front of Italian Milan at the finish line in the coastal city of Dunkirk.
The stage took a dramatic turn 60km from the end when Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen withdrew from the Tour after a heavy crash.
The peloton rode closely together for most of the 178.3km flat stage from Valenciennes to Dunkirk.
Seemingly cautious, the riders held back from making any decisive moves, with nearly the entire group staying in the peloton until the final stretch, setting up a mass sprint finish that ended with several riders crashing in the closing metres.
Germany's Phil Bauhaus of Bahrain Victorious was third.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
Delizioso! Italian rugby stars savour a taste of home at Gqeberha restaurant
Seven Italian rugby players, 11 pizzas, and two very proud restaurateurs. Quitschy's in Gqeberha scored big before the Italian rugby team took on the Springboks in Nelson Mandela Bay on Saturday — serving up authentic Italian food and making unforgettable memories. Lucia Zanella could barely see past the shoulders of the towering visitors who ducked through the doorway of her cosy pizzeria in Walmer, Gqeberha. 'They made me feel so tiny — I'd never seen such big people before!' she laughed, recalling the unexpected arrival of seven Italian rugby players at Quitschy's Pizza & Restaurant in Walmer. Lucia and her husband, Stefano, moved their restaurant from Jeffreys Bay to Gqeberha in 2021. The Italian players arrived at their restaurant on Friday, ahead of their match against the Springboks at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium, which Italy lost 45-0. When the restaurant owners asked the players why they chose the unassuming spot tucked away in Gqeberha, their answer was simple: they were craving something that tasted like home. 'They said they wanted authentic Italian food,' said Lucia, 'and that's exactly what we do — everything made from scratch, with proper Italian ingredients. Nothing fake, nothing rushed.' For the Zanellas, it was a full-circle affirmation of the heart and heritage they pour into every dish. From the wood-fired pizzas to the hand-rolled pasta, Quitschy's is a little slice of Italy in the Eastern Cape — now with a stamp of approval from some of Italy's finest athletes. 'Seeing them enjoy our food felt like a win for us,' smiled Lucia. 'Our food is authentic Italian cuisine, delicately served with love and respect. We want people to enjoy it. It's not fast food — it's about the company and connection,' said Stefano. And boy, did the Italian team connect over their pizzas! Eleven pizzas were shared among seven players, each telling the other to taste their food. 'They could not have any alcohol because they were preparing to play, but they really enjoyed the food, and kept laughing and teasing each other. They're such a warm, kind bunch — even interacting with our other customers,' said Stefano. On game day, Stefano and his wife backed different teams. Lucia, who was born in Italy, said she would always back her fellow Italians, while Stefano was all in for the Boks. He 'was born in Pretoria and lived there until my teen years before my parents and I moved back to Italy. I also played rugby in high school, so the Springboks have a special place in my heart.' Something else that has a special place in his heart is homemade fish and chips, when he's not enjoying Italian food, of course. For Lucia, steamed bread made the traditional isiXhosa way is a weakness. 'I often ask my staff to make me that steamed bread in those enamel dishes; the taste is just so amazing!' Reflecting on what makes Quitschy's so special for her, she said, 'We're blessed with some of the best customers who truly love authentic food and come here for the culture as well. We hope to never lose that.' DM

IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Jannik Sinner claims first Wimbledon title with victory over Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner clinched his first Wimbledon title by defeating Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, marking a significant victory and the emergence of a new rivalry in tennis. Picture: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP Image: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP Jannik Sinner downed defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to win his first Wimbledon title, gaining sweet revenge for his painful defeat in the French Open final. The world number one is the first Italian to win at the All England Club and now has four Grand Slams to his name at the age of 23. Sinner stayed ice cool after losing the first set, with the momentum quickly shifting, and he was not broken once in the final three sets. He squandered three championship points in the final at Roland Garros last month but this time made no mistake as he served out for victory. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Sinner Expresses Joy and Rivalry with Alcaraz at Centre Court Sinner said he was 'living his dream', prompting an eruption of cheers from the Centre Court crowd. 'An amazing tournament, thank you for the player you are,' he said to world number two Alcaraz. 'It is so difficult to play against you. 'I am going to keep hold of this (trophy), you have two already!' The tennis world has been captivated by the emergence of the new rivalry between the players to follow the storied 'Big Three' era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Sinner and Alcaraz Dominate Grand Slam Titles: Sinner's Triumph Over Alcaraz at Wimbledon Sinner and two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz have now shared the past seven Grand Slam titles between them, with the Italian winning four of those. Defeat in Paris last month was a bitter blow for Sinner, who led by two sets and had a clutch of championship points. Prior to Sunday's victory, he had lost five consecutive times against Alcaraz, including the final of the Italian Open in the first tournament he played after returning from a three-month doping ban. But this time he turned the tables in impressive fashion. Both players were solid on serve until the fifth game, when Alcaraz sprayed a forehand long to hand Sinner the first break of the match. But the Spaniard levelled at 4-4 to the delight of the Centre Court crowd, which included Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales. Sinner double-faulted to hand Alcaraz a second set point. The Italian laced a searing forehand down the line but Alcaraz produced a magical backhand winner, pointing his finger to his ear as the crowd rose to their feet. Momentum shift Sinner, still wearing a protective white sleeve after his nasty fall in his fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov, broke in the first game of the second set and led 3-1 after play was briefly halted by a flying cork. Sinner shook his racquet after winning the first point as he served for the set and was rewarded with cheers before levelling the match with a whipped forehand. The third set was a tense affair that went with serve until the ninth game when Sinner broke as Alcaraz slipped over on the baseline and he went 2-1 up. The momentum was now all with Sinner and he broke again in the third game of the fourth set to take the match by the scruff of the neck. Sinner's Focus and Resilience Lead to Wimbledon Victory Over Alcaraz The chance was always there that Alcaraz would produce the magic he found at Roland Garros but Sinner stayed focused. The Spaniard had two break points to hit back in the eighth game but Sinner shut the door. Sinner stepped up to serve for the championship amid a cacophony of noise, sealing the deal on his second championship point. The Italian cruised through the first three rounds at Wimbledon, losing just 17 games — equalling an Open era record set in 1972. But he got lucky in the fourth round against inspired Bulgarian 19th seed Dimitrov, who was leading by two sets when he suffered an injury that forced him to quit. Sinner got back into the groove against 10th seed Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals before demolishing seven-time champion Djokovic in the last four. Alcaraz had been aiming to become just the fifth man in the Open era to win three consecutive Wimbledons after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Federer and Djokovic. AFP


The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Sinner downs Alcaraz to win first Wimbledon
Sinner and two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz have now shared the past seven Grand Slam titles between them, with the Italian winning four of those. Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates with the winner's trophy as he poses for pictures following his victory against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz at the end of their men's singles final tennis match on the fourteenth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 13, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE Jannik Sinner downed Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to win his first Wimbledon title, gaining sweet revenge for his painful defeat in the French Open final. The world number one is the first Italian to win at the All England Club and now has four Grand Slams to his name at the age of 23. The tennis world has been captivated by the emergence of the new rivalry to follow the storied 'Big Three' era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Sinner and two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz have now shared the past seven Grand Slam titles between them, with the Italian winning four of those. Defeat in Paris last month was a bitter blow for Sinner, who led by two sets and squandered three match points in the final. Prior to Sunday's victory, he had lost five consecutive times against Alcaraz, including the final of the Italian Open in the first tournament he played after returning from a three-month doping ban. But this time he turned the tables in impressive fashion. Both players were solid on serve until the fifth game, when Alcaraz sprayed a forehand long to hand Sinner the first break of the match. But the Spaniard levelled at 4-4 to the delight of the Centre Court crowd, which included Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales. Sinner double-faulted to hand Alcaraz a second set point. The Italian laced a searing forehand down the line but Alcaraz produced a magical backhand winner, pointing his finger to his ear as the crowd rose to their feet. – Momentum shift – Sinner, still wearing a protective white sleeve after his nasty fall in his fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov, broke in the first game of the second set and led 3-1 after play was briefly halted by a flying cork. Sinner shook his racquet after winning the first point as he served for the set and was rewarded with cheers before levelling the match with a whipped forehand. The third set was a tense affair that went with serve until the ninth game when Sinner broke as Alcaraz slipped over on the baseline and he went 2-1 up. The momentum was now all with Sinner and he broke again in the third game of the fourth set to take the match by the scruff of the neck. The chance was always there that Alcaraz would produce the magic he found at Roland Garros but Sinner stayed ice-cool. The Spaniard had two break points to hit back in the eighth game but Sinner shut the door impressively. Sinner stepped up to serve for the championship amid a cacophony of noise, staying focused to seal the deal on his second championship point. The Italian cruised through the first three rounds at Wimbledon, losing just 17 games — equalling an Open era record set in 1972. But he got lucky in the fourth round against inspired Bulgarian 19th seed Dimitrov, who was leading by two sets when he suffered an injury that forced him to quit. Sinner got back into the groove against 10th seed Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals before demolishing seven-time champion Djokovic in the last four. Alcaraz had been aiming to become just the fifth man in the Open era to win three consecutive Wimbledons after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Federer and Djokovic.