The Belgian scored his second consecutive podium at the Tour of Britain.
For the third day in a row, Fix ALL Quick-Step was in the spotlight at this week’s race. After Jasper Stuyven’s top five on the opening stage and Tim Merlier’s dominant win in Skegness, the latter featured again in the fight for victory, this time in Beverley.
Friday’s stage was tailored for the fast men, and their teams controlled the breakaway right from the start. Fix ALL Quick-Step was prominent the entire time, bringing back the original lead group, and later in the stage neutralizing a dangerous move that came just kilometers from the finish. In the hectic bunch sprint, where he was launched by Jasper Stuyven, Tim came close to victory, finishing just behind Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) for his 16th podium of the season - a result that kept the red jersey on his shoulders.
“I’m a bit disappointed, because the team worked hard for a bunch sprint the entire day, but I got boxed in with 200 meters to go and couldn’t open my sprint when I wanted to. The guys did a great job, so it’s a pity that we couldn’t get the win, but at least we retained the points jersey, which we’ll see if we can take home”, Tim explained after the stage.
Photo credit: ©George Wood / Getty Images
