Giro d'Italia

Tim Merlier delivered an out-of-this-world sprint on a tense and chaotic finish to hit an important career milestone – his 20th victory in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey. This on the day that the raced passed the offices of Castelli, who we simultaneously announced will remain the team’s clothing partner until 2026.

Padova returned at the Giro d’Italia after exactly 24 years, and with it, also the stunning Prato della Valle, one of the largest and most impressive squares in the world, which hosted the finish of stage 18. Coming after some difficult days in the mountains, the stage was a quiet one until the closing kilometers, when the riders began jostling for position. Julian Alaphilippe did a great job together with Luke Lamperti, stretching the field, before Bert Van Lerberghe came into action, ramping up the speed under the flamme rouge with Tim firmly in his wheel.

A series of tricky corners, the last of which came 300 meters from the line, made for a mad dash Thursday afternoon, but no matter how hectic things were, nothing could stop the 31-year-old Belgian from unleashing a phenomenal burst of sprint that saw him come through in the last moments and take by half a wheel his fourth Grand Tour stage victory.

“It’s my second victory here this year and my ninth of the season, so obviously I am very happy. Things were hectic today, but the guys put me in a good position for the last kilometers, which were incredibly fast. Bert guided me through the penultimate corner, but then I lost a couple of positions as we entered the last corner. Despite this, I remained calm and confident, and even if I had to come around after starting my sprint, I trusted in my Specialised SL8 and Castelli sprint suit. At the start of the race, I said that I wanted to take more than a win here, and now that I’ve done it, I can say that my Giro is a successful one”, a beaming Tim said after picking up his 43rd pro win.

Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images

                        ©Fabio Ferrari / Getty Images