"My position was a bit messed up, but my teammates did a fantastic job," Merlier was quoted as saying on the Tour de France website on Friday.
Merlier passed Jasper Philipsen in the final meters before the finish.
He finished first ahead of Soren Waerenskjold and Biniam Girmay (NSN), while Philipsen had to settle for fifth place.
“After all our hard work, we finally got the results we deserved,” said Merlier.
The Belgian rider revealed that he had lost ground behind Philipsen after being pushed several times in the middle of the group, but chose to continue fighting until the finish line and won.
The stage from Hagetmau to Bordeaux takes place on an almost completely flat course with a total elevation of 850 meters, making it an ideal stage for sprinters.
