"He's like Wout van Aert... I think he's even a lot faster than Wout" - Tim Merlier's big praise for Quick-Step wonderkid who's set for Grand Tour debut at Giro d'Italia
Cycling
Tim Merlier looks set for a big season in 2025 after Soudal - Quick-Step confirmed the Belgian sprinter is set to share team leadership at the 2025 Tour de France alongside Remco Evenepoel. According to Merlier himself though, a Soudal - Quick-Step wonderkid who's set to make a Grand Tour debut at the coming Giro d'Italia could be the rider to watch.
The rider in question, is 20-year-old Frenchman Paul Magnier, who in his debut season at World Tour level in 2024, added five victories to his palmares, including a stage of the Tour of Oman, three stages of the Tour of Britain and victory at Spanish one-day race Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx. "For me, he's a type like Wout van Aert," Merlier praises warmly to Sporza. "A classic rider who's super fast. I think he's even a lot faster than Wout."
Read also
As mentioned, Magnier is set to make a Grand Tour debut in 2025 as part of Soudal - Quick-Step's lineup for the Giro d'Italia, aiming for sprint victories and riding in support of Mikel Landa's quest for the Maglia Rosa in Italy.
For Merlier too, Grand Tour stage victories will be a target in 2025 at the aforementioned Tour de France. "I feel very good here and the trust is mutual," says the European champion, who recently secured a long-term contract extension. "I already said last year that it was possible to go there (the Tour de France) together. We are trying to do that this year and we want to show the outside world that it is possible. I am convinced of that myself. The classification men are still at the front until the final. If I can join my wagon with Bert van Lerberghe and then do my thing, then something is possible. A full train is not necessary for us."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 3visitors 3
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
Loading
8 Comments