Baloise Belgium Tour

Tim Merlier picked up his first victory on the road since last month’s Giro d’Italia, which he concluded with three wins, including the one in Rome. The 31-year-old was head and shoulders above his opponents at the end of the 182.4km second stage, a flat one which put on the table an uphill drag to the line in Knokke-Heist.

Soudal Quick-Step controlled things from the beginning, keeping in check the early escapees and bringing them back with 70 kilometers to go. Our squad continued to set the same steady tempo that prevented other riders from attacking and made sure the stage would come down to a bunch sprint. Having been put by his teammates in a good position going under the flamme rouge, Tim Merlier rounded out the corner around tenth wheel and then anticipated the sprint, launching from the distance, just before the road began going up.

That superb move caught his opponents off guard and helped Tim put several bike lengths into the other sprinters, who had to settle for the minor places on the podium as the two-time Belgian Champion dashed to his 11th victory of the season.

“I’m happy to get my first win in the Belgium Tour. The finale was a bit like the one in Nokere, so I was very confident in my chances, even though I’m not in top condition as this is my first race since the Giro. I was relaxed in the sprint and this helped me tackle the finish without any pressure, despite the slight headwind we had there. Beating so many fast men here feels really good, it’s a big morale-boost ahead of next week’s National Championships”, Tim said after Soudal Quick-Step’s 21st success since the start of the year.

Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images