“I couldn’t keep watching from the sofa any longer” - Tim Merlier earns surprise Paris-Roubaix start after Scheldeprijs win

Tim Merlier’s presence at Paris-Roubaix this weekend was not part of the original plan. Just days ago, the Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter was still working his way back from a disrupted start to the season. Now, he arrives at the Hell of the North off the back of one of the most emphatic wins of his career.

A third consecutive victory at Scheldeprijs changed everything. “I couldn’t keep watching from the sofa any longer. That really became too painful,” he says in quotes collected by Sporza.

Merlier’s 2026 campaign had been shaped by knee issues and a lack of race rhythm, making his performance at Scheldeprijs all the more striking.

On just his second race day of the season, he delivered a perfectly judged sprint to take victory in Schoten, completing a hat-trick at the sprinters’ Classic. “But I definitely didn’t expect to win straight away. I knew everything would have to fall into place. And the puzzle pieces came together perfectly.”

That result was not just a win, but a signal. Even after a stop-start build-up, Merlier showed he could still navigate a chaotic finale and deliver under pressure. Within hours, the next step followed.

Merlier’s path to Roubaix was anything but conventional. “I had just finished a six-hour training ride and started to feel better and better. So I sent the team a message saying I wanted to ride Roubaix.”

What began as a personal feeling quickly turned into a serious option. “Pretty quickly, it became clear that I was being taken seriously. Everyone was on board; they just wanted to wait for Scheldeprijs before making the final decision.”

The victory provided the final confirmation.

Unlike many of the favourites lining up in Compiègne, Merlier arrives without pressure. “I’m really looking forward to it. Roubaix is one of the most beautiful races of the year. It’s a race I always enjoy coming back to,” he says. “With a win already in the bag, I go into it more relaxed as well. It’s not a last-chance race for me like it is for some.”

That freedom shapes his approach. “It definitely won’t be with my best condition. But I’ll see where I end up. Hopefully I can be the perfect teammate.”

Paris-Roubaix is not a natural fit for a pure sprinter, but Merlier is realistic about what he can offer. “The focus won’t really be on me, so maybe I can anticipate or support riders like Stuyven or Van Baarle,” he says. “We’ll see in the team meeting what’s expected of me. I’ll do that because I take that seriously. But again: everything is allowed, nothing is required.”

Scheldeprijs provided the spark, but Roubaix presents a completely different challenge. The controlled chaos of a bunch sprint has little in common with the relentless attrition of more than 50 kilometres of cobbles. Yet the confidence gained from that win, and the form behind it, have already reshaped Merlier’s spring.

A few weeks ago, Paris-Roubaix was not even under consideration. Now, it is the next step. And for a rider who only recently felt he had no choice but to watch from home, that shift says everything.