Our rider remains in contention for the points jersey on home turf.
Stage 3 of the Belgium Tour was the longest of this edition, and just a couple of kilometers from the start, it saw the peloton pass by the Soudal HQ in Turnhout, where dozens of employees came out to greet the Soudal Quick-Step riders, who waved back at them as they continued their journey to Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, where the day was supposed to end.
On paper, the race was another opportunity for the sprinters, but those hoping to prevent a bunch gallop attacked in waves Friday afternoon, especially in the final 50 kilometers, which featured some short climbs that were perfect for such moves. Soudal Quick-Step controlled the stage, and at one point, our best placed rider in the general classification Kasper Asgreen shut down an attack with around 20 kilometers to go.
In the bunch sprint, Tim found himself in a good position entering the final kilometer, but just as he was preparing to kick out, he found himself boxed in, and despite the incredible speed he showed, the previous stage winner had to settle for fourth place, behind Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck). In the overall ranking, both Kasper Asgreen and Josef Cerny are in the top ten ahead of the most important stage of the race.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
Tim Merlier 