Tour de Pologne
Stage 4: Strzelin - Opole
Poland
Tuesday 01 August 2023
199.1 km
Tour de Pologne: Seventh for Merlier in Opole

The Tour de Pologne returned on the flat after two days in the medium mountains for a stage of almost 200 kilometers which had bunch sprint written all over it. It wasn’t that straightforward though, as just 60 kilometers into the race echelons split the peloton spreading panic, with some of the fast men and GC contenders caught on the wrong side of the split.
After some intense chasing, the second group rejoined the bunch, who at that moment was trailing the breakaway by just two minutes. Soudal Quick-Step was again visible at the front, especially with Josef Cerny, who played an important role in the escapees being brought back some 15 kilometers from home.
In the sprint, which was a fraught one, Tim Merlier finished in seventh place as Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) took the victory, a result that keeps the Belgian in contention for the points jersey. His teammate Ilan Van Wilder remained in the top 10 overall going into the complicated stage five to Bielsko-Biala, which could bring more changes to the general classification, where the gaps continue to be tight.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
Race details
1 |
Olav Kooij Jumbo-Visma |
4:23:15 |
2 |
Marijn van den Berg EF Education-EasyPost |
0:00 |
3 |
Matteo Moschetti Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team |
0:00 |
4 |
Max Walscheid Cofidis |
0:00 |
5 |
Sam Bennett BORA - hansgrohe |
0:00 |
6 |
Jakub Mareczko Alpecin-Deceuninck |
0:00 |
7 |
Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
8 |
Arvid de Kleijn Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
0:00 |
9 |
Lionel Taminiaux Alpecin-Deceuninck |
0:00 |
10 |
Matyáš Kopecký Team Novo Nordisk |
0:00 |
54 |
Mattia Cattaneo
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
60 |
Louis Vervaeke
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
63 |
Ilan Van Wilder
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
88 |
Bert Van Lerberghe
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
156 |
Josef Černý
Soudal - Quick Step |
1:11 |
160 |
Jan Hirt
Soudal - Quick Step |
3:33 |
1 |
Matej Mohorič Bahrain - Victorious |
17:38:11 |
2 |
João Almeida UAE Team Emirates |
0:10 |
3 |
Rafał Majka UAE Team Emirates |
0:10 |
4 |
Michał Kwiatkowski INEOS Grenadiers |
0:12 |
5 |
Eddie Dunbar Team Jayco AlUla |
0:20 |
6 |
Ilan Van Wilder
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:20 |
7 |
Oscar Onley Team dsm - firmenich |
0:20 |
8 |
Samuele Battistella Astana Qazaqstan Team |
0:20 |
9 |
Lenny Martinez Groupama - FDJ |
0:20 |
10 |
Sylvain Moniquet Lotto Dstny |
0:20 |
19 |
Mattia Cattaneo
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:57 |
23 |
Louis Vervaeke
Soudal - Quick Step |
1:16 |
66 |
Jan Hirt
Soudal - Quick Step |
12:57 |
113 |
Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step |
25:49 |
115 |
Bert Van Lerberghe
Soudal - Quick Step |
25:49 |
149 |
Josef Černý
Soudal - Quick Step |
30:15 |
1 |
Matej Mohorič Bahrain - Victorious |
39 pt |
2 |
Olav Kooij Jumbo-Visma |
39 pt |
3 |
Michał Kwiatkowski INEOS Grenadiers |
36 pt |
4 |
Marijn van den Berg EF Education-EasyPost |
35 pt |
5 |
Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step |
34 pt |
6 |
Ilan Van Wilder
Soudal - Quick Step |
33 pt |
7 |
Oscar Onley Team dsm - firmenich |
33 pt |
8 |
Sam Bennett BORA - hansgrohe |
33 pt |
9 |
Max Walscheid Cofidis |
33 pt |
10 |
Rafał Majka UAE Team Emirates |
31 pt |
34 |
Mattia Cattaneo
Soudal - Quick Step |
6 pt |
1 |
Jacopo Mosca Lidl - Trek |
18 pt |
2 |
Damiano Caruso Bahrain - Victorious |
5 pt |
3 |
Lucas Hamilton Team Jayco AlUla |
5 pt |
4 |
Mick van Dijke Jumbo-Visma |
4 pt |
5 |
Bastien Tronchon AG2R Citroën Team |
4 pt |
6 |
Andreas Kron Lotto Dstny |
4 pt |
7 |
Norbert Banaszek Poland |
3 pt |
8 |
Eddie Dunbar Team Jayco AlUla |
3 pt |
9 |
Mattia Cattaneo
Soudal - Quick Step |
3 pt |
10 |
Lorenzo Milesi Team dsm - firmenich |
3 pt |
1 | UAE Team Emirates | 52:55:43 |
2 | Soudal - Quick Step | 1:23 |
3 | AG2R Citroën Team | 2:25 |
4 | Team Jayco AlUla | 4:48 |
5 | Lidl - Trek | 4:50 |
6 | INEOS Grenadiers | 5:27 |
7 | Astana Qazaqstan Team | 6:15 |
8 | Cofidis | 7:02 |
9 | Jumbo-Visma | 7:03 |
10 | Team dsm - firmenich | 7:06 |