Giro 2024: Tim Merlier and Julian Alaphilippe eye-catchers at Soudal Quick-Step

Soudal Quick-Step has announced its selection for the Giro d’Italia (4-26 May). The Belgian formation hopes to score in the flat stages with sprinter Tim Merlier. Julian Alaphilippe, Jan Hirt and Mauri Vansevenant, among others, are along for the more difficult stages.

There are many fast men at the start of the Giro d’Italia, but Tim Merlier is perhaps the fastest of them all. The 31-year-old rider has already been very successful this season. He won two stages in the AlUla Tour, three in the UAE Tour and was then also the best in Danilith Nokere Koerse and the Scheldeprijs, the unofficial World Championship for sprinters.

It is the second time that Merlier participates in the Tour of Italy. During his first participation, in 2021, he immediately managed to win a stage. This edition he will receive support in the sprints from Josef Cerny, Luke Lamperti and his regular lead-out Bert Van Lerberghe. In the hills and mountains, helper Pieter Serry, Mauri Vansevenant, Julian Alaphilippe and Jan Hirt (stage winner in the Giro in 2022 and sixth in the classification) will have to ensure the nice weather.

Alaphilippe and Vansevenant
It will be Alaphilippe’s first Giro. The Frenchman had a disappointing spring, partly due to a fracture in the head of his fibula. However, in the Tour de Romandie he put his nose to the window several times. He came third in the prologue and subsequently chose to attack several times.

Alaphilippe skipped the hill classics this year. In those races, however, Soudal Quick-Step still had someone participating at the front, in the person of Mauri Vansevenant. The West Flemish rider finished fourth in the Amstel Gold Race and finished sixth a week later in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.