Paris-Nice: Merlier sprints to top 3

Paris-Nice: Merlier sprints to top 3

Tim Merlier was again in contention at the French race, at the end of the 212.4km stage 5, which represented the sprinters’ last opportunity to fight for glory. Victorious on the opening day of the event, where he captured his fourth win since the start of the season, the Belgian Champion was up there for Soudal Quick-Step when it came down to crunch time in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux.

Our rider was well placed going under the flamme rouge, but in what became a very messy bunch sprint due to a roundabout in the final kilometer, he lost a few positions and had to come from a long way back. Even in these conditions, Merlier showed his incredible speed, passing several riders on his way to third, behind Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma), who took the victory.

Stage 6 of Paris-Nice will be one for the baroudeurs. Five classified climbs and no meter of flat on the roads to La Coulle-sur-Loup will be just the terrain a breakaway needs in order to try and hold off the peloton.

 

Photo credit: ©Alex Broadway / Getty Images

Race details

1 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
5:19:54
2 Mads Pedersen
Trek - Segafredo
0:00
3 Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
4 Matteo Trentin
UAE Team Emirates
0:00
5 Max Kanter
Movistar Team
0:00
6 Bryan Coquard
Cofidis
0:00
7 Sam Bennett
BORA - hansgrohe
0:00
8 Arne Marit
Intermarché - Circus - Wanty
0:00
9 Hugo Page
Intermarché - Circus - Wanty
0:00
10 Cees Bol
Astana Qazaqstan Team
0:00
44 Florian Sénéchal
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
51 Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
64 Rémi Cavagna
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
90 Yves Lampaert
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
142 Tim Declercq
Soudal - Quick Step
0:52
1 Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates
17:14:52
2 David Gaudu
Groupama - FDJ
0:06
3 Jonas Vingegaard Rasmussen
Jumbo-Visma
0:46
4 Simon Yates
Team Jayco AlUla
0:58
5 Gino Mäder
Bahrain - Victorious
1:21
6 Romain Bardet
Team DSM
1:42
7 Daniel Felipe Martínez Poveda
INEOS Grenadiers
1:42
8 Matteo Jorgenson
Movistar Team
1:44
9 Neilson Powless
EF Education-EasyPost
1:46
10 Matteo Sobrero
Team Jayco AlUla
1:56
24 Rémi Cavagna
Soudal - Quick Step
3:20
45 Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step
8:25
54 Yves Lampaert
Soudal - Quick Step
11:29
98 Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step
23:50
101 Florian Sénéchal
Soudal - Quick Step
24:07
110 Tim Declercq
Soudal - Quick Step
25:03
1 Mads Pedersen
Trek - Segafredo
36 pt
2 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
34 pt
3 Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates
31 pt
4 Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step
24 pt
5 Michael Matthews
Team Jayco AlUla
20 pt
6 David Gaudu
Groupama - FDJ
18 pt
7 Sam Bennett
BORA - hansgrohe
16 pt
8 Gino Mäder
Bahrain - Victorious
9 pt
9 Magnus Cort Nielsen
EF Education-EasyPost
9 pt
10 Bryan Coquard
Cofidis
9 pt
1 Jonas Gregaard Wilsly
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
30 pt
2 Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates
12 pt
3 Sandy Dujardin
TotalEnergies
8 pt
4 David Gaudu
Groupama - FDJ
5 pt
5 Anders Skaarseth
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
5 pt
6 Thomas De Gendt
Lotto Dstny
4 pt
7 Neilson Powless
EF Education-EasyPost
3 pt
8 Paul Ourselin
TotalEnergies
3 pt
9 Gino Mäder
Bahrain - Victorious
3 pt
10 Nils Politt
BORA - hansgrohe
3 pt
19 Tim Declercq
Soudal - Quick Step
1 pt
1 Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates
17:14:52
2 Matteo Jorgenson
Movistar Team
1:44
3 Mattias Skjelmose Jensen
Trek - Segafredo
2:10
4 Kévin Vauquelin
Team Arkéa Samsic
2:11
5 Kevin Vermaerke
Team DSM
4:17
6 Anthon Charmig
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
4:48
7 Matthew Dinham
Team DSM
6:13
8 Clément Champoussin
Team Arkéa Samsic
6:29
9 Matis Louvel
Team Arkéa Samsic
12:58
10 Michel Ries
Team Arkéa Samsic
14:44
1 Team Jayco AlUla 50:40:34
2 Bahrain - Victorious 0:58
3 INEOS Grenadiers 1:07
4 Jumbo-Visma 1:54
5 Groupama - FDJ 4:24
6 AG2R Citroën Team 5:35
7 Movistar Team 5:40
8 Team DSM 6:23
9 Cofidis 6:56
10 Team Arkéa Samsic 8:12

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