Giro d'Italia

Tim Merlier entered the history books by becoming the first Belgian in the last 46 years to win three bunch sprints at a single edition of the Giro d’Italia. One of the most successful riders in the peloton this year, Tim capped off his best and most memorable Grand Tour run to date, leaving his mark in Fossano, Padova and Rome and confirming he is the best sprinter in the world with ten wins already under his belt since the month of February.

Rome welcomed the peloton for the 50th time in history with a 9.5km circuit that included some tricky corners and a 200m cobblestone stretch just before the line, which made for a hectic finish that lacked any sprint train dominating the final kilometers. After being brought to the front of the peloton by the excellent Luke Lamperti and Bert Van Lerberghe, Merlier opened the sprint from the distance – just like in Nokere Koerse – and took a crushing victory not far from the Colosseum, in the process hitting a mindblowing maximum speed of 70km/h.

I am incredibly happy with this victory, it feels great to conclude the race like this!

“I didn’t have my best day today, as I came to the start after a day of suffering on the Monte Grappa, but I am delighted I could pull it off. It was very hectic to be in a good position, but I found some space at the right moment and could launch my sprint. I had a lot of confidence, as I loved going full gas on the cobbles, and I was confident in my Specialized SL8. I am happy for myself and for this amazing team that we could end the Giro in style, in this perfect setting that Rome had to offer”, said Tim after signing off our team’s 123rd Grand Tour victory.

The 31-year-old Belgian wasn’t the only Soudal Quick-Step rider to take to the podium in Rome, with Julian Alaphilippe also enjoying his well-deserved moment in the spotlight after completing his debut Il Giro. The charismatic Frenchman animated the race with his swashbuckling style, making the breakaway for a total of eight times and constantly attacking, be it on the flat, hills or in the mountains. Alaphilippe was rewarded for his fantastic never-say-die attitude with an unforgettable victory in Fano, after more than 125 kilometers in the break, and again on Sunday, where he was named the most combative rider of the whole race, a performance he achieved also at the 2019 Tour de France.

I enjoyed the whole Giro d’Italia. We had a beautiful team here and a fantastic atmosphere, which made these three weeks go by much easier.

“I loved every single moment spent in the race, I loved the fans and the way they welcomed us and cheered for us every day. The stage I won made me so happy, it was a dream to complete my Grand Tour stage wins set. At the end of the day, it has been a memorable race for us and we can all be proud of the way we fought and of what we did here”, said Alaphilippe after the podium ceremony.

Jan Hirt rounded out Soudal Quick-Step’s excellent Giro d’Italia by finishing eighth overall after producing a string of solid rides in the mountains that saw him become the seventh rider in the history of the squad to conclude top ten overall at the Corsa Rosa.

Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images