"I am delighted I could repay them with another victory" - Tim Merlier thriving at AlUla Tour

The ALula Tour has been nice for Soudal - Quick-Step, Tim Merlier has taken his second win of the week in quick succession as he sprinted to victory on stage 4, beating Bryan Coquard to the line in an uphill drag to the line.

“I’m happy with my second win of the week, it’s a great way to start the season! Having two jerseys is a nice bonus, but it’s not the only thing that makes me happy. Seeing the boys work so hard for me and do such an excellent job the entire day was incredible and I am delighted I could repay them with another victory," Merlier said in a post-race interview.

The Belgian was the fastest in the run-up to the line, impressing with an all-out sprint from 300 meters to go. It seemed to be too early, but with the uphill grades to the line he held off a charging Bryan Coquard. He has jumped into the race lead as a result.

“It was a hard finish. I decided to go from the distance because I felt really good and had a lot of confidence in myself on that uphill drag to the line," he explained. "It’s been a good race for us so far, but we have one more stage here and we’ll focus on that one and on doing our best to support our young teammate William Lecerf."