Renewi Tour: Merlier again in the picture

Tim Merlier was one of the main protagonists on the penultimate stage of the Renewi Tour, which took the peloton from Beringen to Peer, over a completely flat course where the main threat came from the crosswinds, which made the riders nervous, especially in the final part of the course.
Soudal Quick-Step made sure of keeping things together when numerous attacks came in the last 40 kilometers, Kasper Asgreen being the one that put in a mammoth effort at the front of the bunch so that the group remained as one. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t count on him in the finale, after a massive crash split the peloton, the Dane being among those delayed by the pile-up.
The closing meters of the stage were incredibly hectic, and despite starting the sprint from the back, the two-time Belgian Champion produced an incredible burst of sprint which netted him fourth place behind winner Sam Welsford (DSM-Firmenich), only a couple of centimeters separating him from the podium. In the general classification, Yves Lampaert sits in third place, but everything will be decided on the roads to Bilzen, where the race will come to a conclusion.
“We were a bit too far entering the last corner, and a rider slotted between myself and Brent. The moment I found a gap, I immediately accelerated, but I couldn’t keep the speed unfortunately, and they passed me. It is as it is, especially, after an insane finale like the one of today”, explained Tim after the stage.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
Race details
1 |
Sam Welsford Team dsm - firmenich |
3:57:36 |
2 |
Olav Kooij Jumbo-Visma |
0:00 |
3 |
Jasper Philipsen Alpecin-Deceuninck |
0:00 |
4 |
Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
5 |
Arnaud De Lie Lotto Dstny |
0:00 |
6 |
Dylan Groenewegen Team Jayco AlUla |
0:00 |
7 |
Max Kanter Movistar Team |
0:00 |
8 |
Milan Fretin Team Flanders - Baloise |
0:00 |
9 |
Laurence Pithie Groupama - FDJ |
0:00 |
10 |
Arne Marit Intermarché - Circus - Wanty |
0:00 |
16 |
Bert Van Lerberghe
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
49 |
Tim Declercq
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
50 |
Yves Lampaert
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
51 |
Florian Sénéchal
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
68 |
Stan Van Tricht
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:00 |
109 |
Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step |
3:43 |
1 |
Tim Wellens UAE Team Emirates |
11:44:52 |
2 |
Florian Vermeersch Lotto Dstny |
0:23 |
3 |
Yves Lampaert
Soudal - Quick Step |
0:23 |
4 |
Jasper Stuyven Lidl - Trek |
0:30 |
5 |
Fred Wright Bahrain - Victorious |
0:30 |
6 |
Mike Teunissen Intermarché - Circus - Wanty |
0:31 |
7 |
Marc Hirschi UAE Team Emirates |
0:31 |
8 |
Matej Mohorič Bahrain - Victorious |
0:33 |
9 |
Axel Zingle Cofidis |
0:34 |
10 |
Matteo Trentin UAE Team Emirates |
0:36 |
23 |
Florian Sénéchal
Soudal - Quick Step |
1:15 |
31 |
Tim Declercq
Soudal - Quick Step |
2:01 |
77 |
Bert Van Lerberghe
Soudal - Quick Step |
10:52 |
78 |
Stan Van Tricht
Soudal - Quick Step |
10:59 |
80 |
Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step |
11:03 |
107 |
Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step |
14:07 |
1 |
Arnaud De Lie Lotto Dstny |
53 pt |
2 |
Jasper Philipsen Alpecin-Deceuninck |
52 pt |
3 |
Tim Wellens UAE Team Emirates |
50 pt |
4 |
Olav Kooij Jumbo-Visma |
47 pt |
5 |
Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step |
44 pt |
6 |
Yves Lampaert
Soudal - Quick Step |
33 pt |
7 |
Dylan Groenewegen Team Jayco AlUla |
32 pt |
8 |
Mike Teunissen Intermarché - Circus - Wanty |
30 pt |
9 |
Sam Welsford Team dsm - firmenich |
30 pt |
10 |
Joshua Tarling INEOS Grenadiers |
30 pt |
20 |
Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step |
15 pt |
1 |
Arnaud De Lie Lotto Dstny |
11:45:56 |
2 |
Jenno Berckmoes Team Flanders - Baloise |
0:09 |
3 |
Thibau Nys Lidl - Trek |
2:17 |
4 |
Nicolò Buratti Bahrain - Victorious |
5:34 |
5 |
Dries De Pooter Intermarché - Circus - Wanty |
5:35 |
6 |
Bastien Tronchon AG2R Citroën Team |
7:48 |
7 |
Olav Kooij Jumbo-Visma |
9:27 |
8 |
Casper van Uden Team dsm - firmenich |
9:29 |
9 |
Ben Tulett INEOS Grenadiers |
11:21 |
10 |
Milan Fretin Team Flanders - Baloise |
11:24 |
1 | UAE Team Emirates | 35:15:57 |
2 | Lotto Dstny | 0:29 |
3 | Soudal - Quick Step | 1:32 |
4 | Bahrain - Victorious | 1:37 |
5 | Intermarché - Circus - Wanty | 1:44 |
6 | Lidl - Trek | 1:54 |
7 | EF Education-EasyPost | 2:11 |
8 | AG2R Citroën Team | 2:41 |
9 | INEOS Grenadiers | 4:04 |
10 | Israel - Premier Tech | 4:25 |