The European Champion is the first leader of the AlUla Tour after producing a perfect sprint.
Tim Merlier was unstoppable on the opening stage of the Middle East race, delivering Soudal Quick-Step’s first victory of the year and confirming he remains the fastest man in the sport, after an excellent 2024 during which he racked up a total of 16 wins.
“It’s always great to start the season with a victory, especially on your first day of racing. I like this event and the weather and I’m happy I could win on the first day here. I knew I was in a good shape coming to the start, but I wanted to see exactly where I was after the winter, and I’m delighted with the outcome.”
The finish in Al Manshiyah Train Station was identical with the one of last year, when Tim came from the back in a spectacular manner to clinch a solid third place despite a late bike change. This time, everything went smoothly for the European Champion, who unleashed his sprint with 150 meters to go and gave no chance to the other riders, taking a clear and comfortable victory Tuesday afternoon.
“Getting a victory early in the season is good because it motivates the team even more. The sprint was nervous and it wasn’t easy to get everything in place, but we managed it in the end. The guys did a tremendous amount of work controlling the breakaway and Bert provided another perfect lead-out when it mattered. I lost him a bit with two kilometers to go, but came back in his wheel in the U-turn and he took me in an ideal position from where I started my sprint at the right moment. I’m happy with this result, it’s a really nice confidence-boost”, said Tim, who leads the GC, but also the points classification at the AlUla Tour.
Photo credit: ©Szymon Gruchalski / Getty Images
