"In boxing, lightweights never face heavyweights... In cycling, they do": Tim Merlier fears pure sprinters are close to extinction
Cycling
In recent weeks, many sprinters have raised their voices. Why? Above all because of the announcement of the route of the 2026 Tour de France, where the finish in Montmartre has been reinstated after this year's success. The problem is that for the sprinters, one of the most mythical possible victories on the calendar, on the Champs-Elysées, will once again disappear.
The debate over the place of sprinters in modern cycling continues to grow, and Tim Merlier has become one of the most vocal voices of concern. The Belgian, one of the most consistent sprinters in the current peloton, is watching his chances in Grand Tours narrow year after year, and fears that the trend will ultimately doom his generation.
In an interview with Jan Bakelants, picked up by IDL, Merlier reviews the route of the upcoming Tour and the conclusion didn't give him too much pause:
"On paper, I see about six sprint opportunities... but we'll see if they really are." His biggest concern is in the last week, which he describes as "extremely hard," remarking on a penultimate stage that he considers unnecessarily extreme. His analysis is clear: the design calls for minimizing the space for the fast men.
The Belgian sees an obvious pattern: "They're looking for fewer sprints and more spectacle," he says. What surprises him is that the systematic hardening of the courses doesn't benefit the big climbers either: "They are also exhausted in the final phase and need to recover. It doesn't always have to be harder to be pretty."
Still, he knows his ability to influence is limited: "I'm not going to change the race," he admits. To illustrate his frustration, he resorts to an image that has gone viral: "In boxing, lightweights never face heavyweights. In cycling, they do."
A metaphor that sums up what he feels when faced with courses that seem designed to exclude pure sprinters.
Tim Merlier fears the disappearance of sprints from the Tour de France and cycling
A forbidden future for sprinters?
Merlier fears that the current evolution of cycling will leave out profiles like his. He wonders if the day will come when only lightweight riders will have a real chance to shine in the big races, a drift he considers sad and impoverishing for the sport.
He sees it also reflected in the World Champtionships routes. Since Peter Sagan won the title in 2017 in a reduced sprint, no sprinter has worn the rainbow again. "Every generation of sprinters should have at least one real chance. I'm afraid that chance will never come for me," he admits.
Even when Jan Bakelants hints that Abu Dhabi 2028 could be his chance, the two ironize about the possibility of a mountain designed for Pogacar even appearing there. "They're working on it," Merlier adds with acid humor.
Beyond the World Championships, Merlier has another clear objective: to complete the trilogy of winning stages in the three Grand Tours. He only lacks the Vuelta a España, a race he has been chasing for a long time. "I've been asking to race it for several years," he confesses.
He recognizes, however, the mental wear and tear that comes with stringing together two Grand Tours. He tried in 2021, the year he took stages in the Giro and Tour, but didn't finish either: "That's when I earned that reputation," he jokes.
Although age will be a factor - in 2028 he will be close to 36 - he doesn't feel his performance is declining. "I'm not in decline, I'm not nervous in the sprints. Retiring is not in my plans," he assures.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
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