Three late crashes wreak havoc at the Belgian World Tour race.
Tim Merlier entered Classic Brugge-De Panne as one of the red-hot favourites, after taking a total of six victories since the start of the season in three different races: AlUla Tour, UAE Tour and Paris-Nice. Unfortunately for the European Champion, it wasn’t meant to be Wednesday afternoon despite his Soudal Quick-Step teammates’ superb work, after he was involved in one of the numerous crashes that took place in the final five kilometers.
The Belgian hit the ground just before the final kilometer, the last of the three incidents that split the peloton and made for a chaotic finale in Belgium. Following the crash, Tim suffered abrasions to his right leg and arm, and a small open wound under the right knee, which required stitching. He will now take some rest this evening, after which his participation in the future races will be decided.
From the small group that contested the victory, Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) accelerated long before the finish and managed to hold off the others, taking the win. Our first rider home was Luke Lamperti, who rolled over the line in 15th place.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
