Bib #2653 · BE · M2

Niels MERCKX

3:41:28

Official time

49 / 9,696

Overall

Where you finished

Pool	Place	Of
Overall	49	9,696
Men	48	7,002
M2	13	1,288

What it took

Pool	Winner	Median
Overall	3:13:37+27:51	6:26:45−2:45:17
Men	3:13:37+27:51	6:13:36−2:32:08
M2	3:13:37+27:51	6:04:26−2:22:58

Winner and median are over classified finishers only. The gap is what you add to their time to get yours: + means you were that much slower, − that much faster.

The fun ranking

The only Niels to finish. Undefeated, unchallenged.

See the whole Niels ranking →

Among classified finishers only, ties sharing a place. Not an official classification — no timekeeper has ever scored this.

Also rode L'Étape du Tour 2026name match

DNS

One of the 1,586 riders who entered both Étapes this year — see the doublé analysis.

Strong across the board: you beat the M2 median on every climb — closest margin on Col de la Madeleine.

Your AI ride analysis

Finishing 49th out of 9,696 overall in M2 is an exceptional result, and the data backs it up — you beat the category median on every segment. The Ventoux forest climb was the biggest margin, about 33 minutes 13 seconds ahead, and even Col de la Madeleine, your closest gap, still held 2 minutes 36 seconds in hand. There's nothing to correct here; this is simply a strong pacing plan executed well.

Generated once from the numbers on this page — not reviewed by a human, may be imperfect.

Race position along the course

Climbs & segments

Segment	Time	Rank	Top %	vs median
Start → Pied du col de PropiacFlat / valley	31:02	232	2%	−14:04
Col de PropiacClimb	7:30	99	1%	−4:50
Baronnies → Pied du col de SuzetteFlat / valley	1:01:08	51	1%	−30:05
Col de SuzetteClimb	11:03	67	1%	−8:14
Suzette → Pied du col de la MadeleineFlat / valley	17:22	52	1%	−10:51
Col de la MadeleineClimb	4:27	37	1%	−3:04
Madeleine → Bédoin → Saint-EstèveFlat / valley	23:29	108	1%	−26:57
Mont Ventoux — la forêt (Saint-Estève → Chalet Reynard)Climb	41:28	44	1%	−39:24
Mont Ventoux — Chalet Reynard → sommetClimb	23:59	30	1%	−26:00
Mont Ventoux intégral (Saint-Estève → sommet)Combined	1:05:27	39	1%	−1:05:19
Classement grimpeur (Propiac + Suzette + Madeleine + Ventoux)Combined	1:28:27	36	1%	−1:21:15

“Top %” = segment rank as a share of riders timed on that segment. “vs median” = time ahead of (green) or behind (red) the median rider.

How you compare, climb by climb

Segment	You	Stage winner	M2 leader	GC avg / median	M2 avg / median
Start → Pied du col de Propiac	31:02	Nathael DESBOIS 27:47	Stefan BENNETT 28:00	44:46 / 45:06	43:05 / 43:10
Col de Propiac	7:30	Benjamin BUCHETET 6:04	Benjamin BUCHETET 6:04	12:22 / 12:20	11:38 / 11:29
Baronnies → Pied du col de Suzette	1:01:08	Baptiste LOMBARDI 57:35	Lilian CALMEJANE 57:39	1:32:57 / 1:31:13	1:29:37 / 1:25:42
Col de Suzette	11:03	Tim ALLEMAN 9:19	Thibaut CLÉMENT 9:20	19:33 / 19:17	18:18 / 18:02
Suzette → Pied du col de la Madeleine	17:22	Thibaut CLÉMENT 15:36	Thibaut CLÉMENT 15:36	29:17 / 28:13	27:46 / 26:40
Col de la Madeleine	4:27	Maxandre DRUNEAU 3:40	Maxence JANODET 3:54	7:41 / 7:31	7:13 / 7:03
Madeleine → Bédoin → Saint-Estève	23:29	Thibaut CLÉMENT 19:39	Thibaut CLÉMENT 19:39	51:57 / 50:26	49:28 / 47:17
Mont Ventoux — la forêt (Saint-Estève → Chalet Reynard)	41:28	Thibaut CLÉMENT 33:02	Thibaut CLÉMENT 33:02	1:23:25 / 1:20:52	1:17:49 / 1:14:41
Mont Ventoux — Chalet Reynard → sommet	23:59	Thibaut CLÉMENT 19:04	Thibaut CLÉMENT 19:04	51:12 / 49:59	48:07 / 46:11
Mont Ventoux intégral (Saint-Estève → sommet)	1:05:27	Thibaut CLÉMENT 52:06	Thibaut CLÉMENT 52:06	2:13:29 / 2:10:46	2:05:16 / 2:01:01
Classement grimpeur (Propiac + Suzette + Madeleine + Ventoux)	1:28:27	Thibaut CLÉMENT 1:11:40	Thibaut CLÉMENT 1:11:40	2:52:06 / 2:49:42	2:41:35 / 2:37:28

“Stage winner” = fastest rider on that segment, field-wide. “GC” = the whole classified field. Rows with no result for this rider (missed timing mat) are omitted here — see the table above for why.

Checkpoint splits

Checkpoint	Km	Time	Rank	vs median
START	0	0:00	—
Pied de col de Propiac	19.2	31:02	232	−14:04
Col de Propiac	21.8	38:32	186	−19:01
Pied de col de Suzette	68.4	1:39:40	79	−49:38
Col de Suzette	72.3	1:50:43	87	−57:56
Pied de col de la madeleine	81.7	2:08:05	76	−1:07:30
Col de la Madeleine	83.9	2:12:32	77	−1:12:21
Pied de col du Ventoux	96	2:36:01	88	−1:38:50
Chalet Reynard	103.8	3:17:29	53	−2:21:47
FINISH	111.7	3:41:28	49	−2:45:17

Times are official times from the race timekeeping — this edition was ranked on gun time (each wave’s start clock), not individual chip time. Search another rider.