The best sprinter of the year was again in a league of his own.
Tim Merlier took another crushing sprint victory in his first road race since the Tour de France, earning Soudal Quick-Step’s 33rd success of the season in Breskens, where the opening stage of the Renewi Tour – the 30th World Tour event of the season – concluded.
It was a hectic day of racing, with the original seven-man breakaway caught long before the finish and another leading group formed soon afterwards, with some help from the crosswinds. Our team had Tour de Pologne stage winner Paul Magnier there, a move which put the pressure on other squads, who had to chase hard in order to bring them back, which eventually happened only inside the final ten kilometers.
Soudal Quick-Step once again took over the reins in the bunch and stretched the peloton before Bert Van Lerberghe pushed a big tempo under the flamme rouge, paving the way for Merlier’s sprint. The European Champion flew to victory, putting a bike length into his opponents and taking a success that brought him the race’s first leader’s jersey and ten bonus seconds.
“I had a good feeling the entire day, which made me confident in my chances, but we weren’t sure there was going to be a bunch sprint because the breakaway was a strong one. On the other hand, it still was a good situation for us, as we had Paul there. In the end, it all came together and the team did a really good job to put me in a good position, from where I could open my sprint at the right moment, just like I wanted. It makes me happy I could win in my first race since July”, said Tim, who also leads the points classification of the Renewi Tour.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
