Paris-Nice: Tim Merlier does it again

Paris-Nice: Tim Merlier does it again

Tim Merlier won on the opening day of a stage race for the third time this season. After his successful outings with Soudal Quick-Step at the Tour of Oman and the UAE Tour in February, the 30-year-old repeated the feat also in Paris-Nice, at his debut here.

The Wolfpack’s most successful rider so far this season, Tim benefited from another outstanding job from his teammates, who not only controlled the early breakaway, but neutralized two dangerous attacks in the last hour of the race, the last of which was with just three kilometers to go. Kasper Asgreen and Mauro Schmid then stretched out the peloton before French Champion Florian Sénéchal picked up the pace, drilling it at the front until 300 meters to go.

Just like in the Middle East, Tim remained calm and kicked out 200 meters from the line, bursting clear of his opponents and scoring his fourth victory of the year with another hugely impressive sprint. The win in La Verrière came along with two visits to the podium for Tim, who got in possession of the yellow and green jersey.

“Today was a hard and nervous day, but the guys worked hard and believed in me, and that added to my motivation. I am twice happy: because I could repay them with this win and because I received that small plush lion, which I will give to my son when I am back home.”

“The boys were flawless today, the way they controlled everything on this tricky parcours was just wow. Tim brought back the escapees, Kasper did a really long pull in the closing kilometers, then Florian piloted me in the finale. I was well placed in the last two corners, and from that moment on it was just about waiting for the perfect moment. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be part of this amazing squad. To win at my debut here feels incredible”, said Tim, who became the first reigning Belgian Champion since Tom Steels – our sports director at the race – in 1999 to come out on top in a Paris-Nice road stage.

 

Photo credit: ©Alex Broadway / Getty Images

Race details

1 Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step
3:50:52
2 Sam Bennett
BORA - hansgrohe
0:00
3 Mads Pedersen
Trek - Segafredo
0:00
4 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
0:00
5 Arnaud De Lie
Lotto Dstny
0:00
6 Michael Matthews
Team Jayco AlUla
0:00
7 Bryan Coquard
Cofidis
0:00
8 Iván García Cortina
Movistar Team
0:00
9 Kaden Groves
Alpecin-Deceuninck
0:00
10 Arnaud Démare
Groupama - FDJ
0:00
22 Florian Sénéchal
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
48 Yves Lampaert
Soudal - Quick Step
0:06
74 Rémi Cavagna
Soudal - Quick Step
0:02
86 Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step
0:02
97 Mauro Schmid
Soudal - Quick Step
0:02
118 Tim Declercq
Soudal - Quick Step
3:06
1 Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step
3:50:42
2 Sam Bennett
BORA - hansgrohe
0:04
3 Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates
0:04
4 Mads Pedersen
Trek - Segafredo
0:06
5 Pierre Latour
TotalEnergies
0:06
6 Dorian Godon
AG2R Citroën Team
0:08
7 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
0:10
8 Arnaud De Lie
Lotto Dstny
0:10
9 Michael Matthews
Team Jayco AlUla
0:10
10 Bryan Coquard
Cofidis
0:10
25 Florian Sénéchal
Soudal - Quick Step
0:10
50 Yves Lampaert
Soudal - Quick Step
0:10
74 Rémi Cavagna
Soudal - Quick Step
0:10
86 Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step
0:10
97 Mauro Schmid
Soudal - Quick Step
0:10
118 Tim Declercq
Soudal - Quick Step
3:16
1 Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step
15 pt
2 Sam Bennett
BORA - hansgrohe
12 pt
3 Mads Pedersen
Trek - Segafredo
9 pt
4 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
7 pt
5 Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates
6 pt
6 Arnaud De Lie
Lotto Dstny
6 pt
7 Michael Matthews
Team Jayco AlUla
5 pt
8 Pierre Latour
TotalEnergies
4 pt
9 Bryan Coquard
Cofidis
4 pt
10 Iván García Cortina
Movistar Team
3 pt
1 Neilson Powless
EF Education-EasyPost
3 pt
2 Paul Ourselin
TotalEnergies
3 pt
3 Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates
2 pt
4 Jonas Gregaard Wilsly
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
2 pt
5 Arnaud Démare
Groupama - FDJ
1 pt
6 Senne Leysen
Alpecin-Deceuninck
1 pt
1 Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates
3:50:46
2 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
0:06
3 Arnaud De Lie
Lotto Dstny
0:06
4 Kaden Groves
Alpecin-Deceuninck
0:06
5 Arne Marit
Intermarché - Circus - Wanty
0:06
6 Fred Wright
Bahrain - Victorious
0:06
7 Marijn van den Berg
EF Education-EasyPost
0:06
8 Kévin Vauquelin
Team Arkéa Samsic
0:06
9 Mattias Skjelmose Jensen
Trek - Segafredo
0:06
10 Pavel Bittner
Team DSM
0:06
21 Mauro Schmid
Soudal - Quick Step
0:06
1 Trek - Segafredo 11:32:36
2 Soudal - Quick Step 0:00
3 TotalEnergies 0:00
4 Movistar Team 0:00
5 EF Education-EasyPost 0:00
6 BORA - hansgrohe 0:00
7 Team DSM 0:00
8 Jumbo-Visma 0:00
9 AG2R Citroën Team 0:00
10 Groupama - FDJ 0:00

Related items

Soudal Quick-Step to Paris-Nice

Soudal Quick-Step to Paris-Nice

28/02/2023
Link
Paris-Nice - stage 1

Paris-Nice - stage 1

05/03/2023 - Road
Link