Another win for one of the season’s most successful riders.
Tim Merlier was back on his bike less than a week after bringing to a conclusion an unforgettable Giro d’Italia, picking up where he left off in Rome. Victorious in three stages at the Corsa Rosa, the two-time Belgian Champion lined out Saturday morning at the start of the Gravel Challenge Blaavandshuk, a demanding gravel race held in Denmark.
The event, which is part of the UCI Gravel Series, consisted of four 38km-long laps, featuring gravel, paved roads and even a 2km beach section, which all whittled down the peloton to just a couple of riders inside the last hour of racing. Riding his Specialized Roubaix SL8, Merlier had Soudal Quick-Step teammate and best friend Bert Van Lerberghe for company – who competed on the Specialized Crux bike – and they were well positioned for the entire day, making sure of being in the first group when a selection was made.
Going into the final kilometers, Bert helped close down several attacks before Tim rode away not far from the finish, carrying that small advantage to the line, where he took the victory. Van Lerberghe came in third place, making it a perfect day for Soudal Quick-Step on the east coast of Denmark.
“It was a relaxing and fun race to do. It was of course different than what I am used to, but riding my Specialized Crux on this demanding parcours together with Bert was great and I enjoyed every single moment of this race. Bert’s presence was really important and I’m delighted I could finish off the job and I could live this experience together with him”, a smiling Merlier explained after the podium ceremony.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
Tim Merlier 