After having to miss out on the Giro d'Italia after
crashing at Paris-Roubaix, it would seem as if the Belgian sprinter is also likely to not be present at the
Tour de France.
Merlier was written to be the leader of
Alpecin-Fenix at the Giro but due to his elbow issues he had to opt out, whereas Jakub Mareczko couldn't fill the empty spot left by the 29-year old. The team led the race for three stages and also won on three occasions, to which Merlier commented on Het Nieuwsblad: "It hurt when I saw my teammates on TV, but I quickly set new goals... I am happy with the three stage wins from the team. Some riders were down when it became clear that I had to forfeit but they have done brilliantly. You also saw that the atmosphere was fantastic, thanks in part to Mathieu van der Poel," who was a constant attacking figure in the race.