Tim Merlier dedicates tough sprint victory in Giro to the late Wouter Weylandt: “I haven’t forgotten him yet”

Tim Merlier had to work extremely hard for it. With a powerful final shot he beat Jonathan Milan to the finish, good for his 8th victory of the season. The Belgian once again showcased his capabilities as a race sprinter and made the victory gesture for Wouter Weylandt. “Because I was a big fan of his,” he shares in front of our microphone.

“This was perhaps the toughest victory so far.”

Tim Merlier knows what suffering is like after stage 3 in the Giro. In the end, the former Belgian champion saw one Tadej Pogacar tear the pack to pieces with a surprise attack on a gentle slope.

The peloton had to do everything it could to regain the pink jersey just before the finish. “Yes, Pogacar seriously disrupted things. Not many teams could find the organization again.”

“It was such a tough final,” gasps our compatriot. “When we came back, I could no longer find a slipstream in the last kilometer. I was in a good position, but I could never breathe.”

“I saw Milan start his sprint from the left. I knew I was 1st or 2nd, so I’m happy that I could still win.”

I dedicate this victory to Weylandt. I haven’t forgotten him yet.

Tim Merlier

Fortunately, the race sprinter could count on his team in a turbulent final.

“I was well surrounded by Van Lerberghe, Vansevenant, Alaphilippe, …”, Merlier goes down the list of Soudal – Quick Step. “The team has done a good job to get me this far.”

He finished it off with a jump, followed by a victory gesture for the late Wouter Weylandt. He crashed during the 2011 Tour of Italy.

“I also dedicated my first victory to him,” he shares. “I have not forgotten him, because I was a fan of Weylandt. I remember the moment of his death. I was watching the broadcast with a friend. That hit like a bomb.”

And what now? Is the Merlier already thinking about the points jersey in Rome?

“Not yet. A second and third victory will certainly be needed to secure the points jersey.”

“Tim is one of the fastest men in the peloton. It wasn’t easy, but he proves once again that he’s up there,” Mauri Vansevenant responds in front of our microphone.

He also had to work hard to catch up with the Slovenian phenomenon: “Pogacar’s attempt was courageous, but very difficult with such a long straight at the end.”