The Belgian talked about his ambitions for the opening months of the season.
Tim Merlier had an excellent first year with Soudal Quick-Step: in 68 days of racing, he racked up eleven wins, finished on the podium on six more occasions, and took home two points classification jerseys, at the UAE Tour and the Okolo Slovenska. In addition to his exploits on the road, the Belgian also won a cyclo-cross race in the beginning of 2023, took the silver medal at the European Gravel Championships, and capped off his strong season by becoming Belgian Beach Race Champion.
The 31-year-old from Kortrijk is already one of the fastest fast men in the peloton, and this year – as the main sprinter of Soudal Quick-Step – he will once again try to contribute with as many victories as possible to the squad’s tally, helped by best friend and strong lead-out man Bert Van Lerberghe.
“Last season was a great one for me. I immediately felt at home in the team, as I already knew many of the riders here, and it didn’t take long before I could feel and show the Wolfpack spirit. Going over ten wins on the road was my goal, and with the support of my teammates I achieved that. I won’t lie if I say that I would like to repeat that feat again this season.”
Merlier will start the campaign at the Alula Tour, in Saudi Arabia, a country he never raced before, before traveling to the UAE Tour, where in 2023 he took two stages and the green jersey. From there, he will return to Europe for an appointment with one of the most prestigious stage races of the spring, Tirreno-Adriatico.
“There will be a lot of nice opportunities in those first weeks of the season. I hope to win early, because that gives you a lot of confidence for the next races, and help the team remain one of the best in the world. I would also like to do some classics again. I love those races and I really believe I can be of help there”, added Tim, who impressed last year in his outings at De Ronde and Paris-Roubaix.
Photo credit: ©Wout Beel
