The Belgian sprinter celebrated his 40th pro win in front of his home fans.
Tim Merlier confirmed he is the most in-form sprinter of the season as he powered to a third consecutive success on the Nokereberg, joining fellow countryman Hendrik Van Dijck as the only riders to have scored a hat-trick of victories in Nokere Koerse, the Flemish one-day race created in 1944.
The 31-year-old came at the start incredibly motivated to repeat his victories of 2022 and 2023, and rode a perfect race with the support of his Soudal Quick-Step teammates, who annihilated the original breakaway and later in the day all the dangerous moves that came on the last lap, keeping him at the front all the time, which helped Tim avoid the many crashes that ended up having an impact on the race. The last of these incidents came around two kilometers from the finish line, when a pile-up split what already was a depleted peloton, leaving only a dozen or so men in contention as they rode under the flamme rouge.
Knowing fortune usually favours the brave, Merlier launched a devastating sprint from the very bottom of the Nokereberg, the blistering speed he produced on the 300m cobbled hill averaging 4.3% leaving all his opponents trailing and incapable of reacting. It was a crushing victory for the two-time Belgian Champion, who put several bike lengths into the chasers and could even afford to stop pedalling in the last 40 meters as he celebrated together with the fans this electrifying win, maybe his most impressive of the year.
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“The race was very nervous, but the team did a great job, and I want to thank them for that. I am so proud of all of them, and especially of the young guys, who were amazing today. A lot of attacks came in the finale and the race was all over the place, but that wasn’t a surprise. As soon as we arrived at the bottom of the Nokereberg I saw an opportunity and went immediately, trying from afar just like I did in the previous two years.”
“This success means a lot, because it was the first time that my son came to see me at a race, and this made me very emotional at the finish. It’s a great feeling to win in front of my family, just five kilometers from where we live, and really incredible to be on the top spot of the podium here three years in a row. I am very happy with my sprint and with getting to six victories so early in the season”, Tim said after his 40th pro win.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
