"In the final it was a bit hectic" - Tim Merlier emerges victorious from crash-affected sprint on stage 3 of AlUla Tour 2025
Cycling
For the second time in three days, Tim Merlier has proven himself the quickest sprinter in the field at the 2025 AlUla Tour. On Thursday, Soudal - Quick-Step's European champion emerged victorious in a crash-affected sprint on stage 3.
“The legs were good today,” Merlier reflected when speaking to the media afterwards. “I felt good. In the final it was a bit hectic. There was a left turn, but that turned out to be for the cars, not for us. We almost took the wrong exit. I was a bit surprised, but I took the win, so I'm happy.”
There was also the added drama of echelons, although Merlier himself seemed unbothered. “It was not really a big fight, a large group stayed together,” said the Belgian. “It was okay. They were not real echelons.”
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| 1 | Merlier Tim | Soudal Quick-Step | 14 | 04:16:23 |
| 2 | Groenewegen Dylan | Team Jayco-AlUla | 5 | + 00 |
| 3 | Molano Sebastian | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 3 | + 00 |
| 4 | Moschetti Matteo | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 00 | |
| 5 | Barbier Pierre | Wagner Bazin WB | + 00 | |
| 6 | Brustenga Marc | Equipo Kern Pharma | + 00 | |
| 7 | Fedorov Yevgeniy | XDS Astana Team | + 00 | |
| 8 | Dauphin Florian | Team TotalEnergies | + 00 | |
| 9 | Bruttomesso Alberto | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 | |
| 10 | Kolze Changizi Sebastian | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 | |
| 11 | Romele Alessandro | XDS Astana Team | + 00 | |
| 12 | Van Rooy Kenneth | Wagner Bazin WB | + 00 | |
| 13 | Degenkolb John | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 | |
| 14 | Van Lerberghe Bert | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 | |
| 15 | Hatherly Alan | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 | |
| 16 | Fancellu Alessandro | JCL Team Ukyo | + 00 | |
| 17 | Basset Pierre-Henry | XDS Astana Team | + 00 | |
| 18 | Quick Blake | Roojai Insurance | + 00 | |
| 19 | Kepplinger Rainer | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 | |
| 20 | Johnston Calum | Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | + 00 | |
| 21 | Pasqualon Andrea | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 | |
| 22 | Abrahamsen Jonas | Uno-X Mobility | + 00 | |
| 23 | Wallin Rasmus Bøgh | Uno-X Mobility | + 00 | |
| 24 | Oliveira Ivo | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 00 | |
| 25 | Dversnes Fredrik | Uno-X Mobility | + 00 | |
| 26 | Jegat Jordan | Team TotalEnergies | + 00 | |
| 27 | Reynders Jens | Wagner Bazin WB | + 00 | |
| 28 | Zijlaard Maikel | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 | |
| 29 | van den Broek Frank | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 | |
| 30 | Babor Daniel | Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | + 00 | |
| 31 | Haquin Henri-Francois | Wagner Bazin WB | + 00 | |
| 32 | Voisard Yannis | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 | |
| 33 | van der Meulen Max | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 | |
| 34 | Garibbo Nicolo | JCL Team Ukyo | + 00 | |
| 35 | Kulset Johannes | Uno-X Mobility | + 00 | |
| 36 | Jakobsen Fabio | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 | |
| 37 | Holter Ådne | Uno-X Mobility | + 00 | |
| 38 | Boniface Lucas | Team TotalEnergies | + 00 | |
| 39 | Erzen Zak | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 | |
| 40 | Ibanez Javier | Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | + 00 | |
| 41 | Leroux Samuel | Team TotalEnergies | + 00 | |
| 42 | Walscheid Max | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 15 | |
| 43 | Thalmann Roland | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 15 | |
| 44 | Mezgec Luka | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 15 | |
| 45 | Liepins Emils | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 15 | |
| 46 | Parisini Nicolò | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 21 | |
| 47 | Mikutis Aivaras | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 23 | |
| 48 | Vervenne Jonathan | Soudal Quick-Step | + 23 | |
| 49 | Warlop Jordi | Soudal Quick-Step | + 23 | |
| 50 | Stockwell Oliver | Bahrain Victorious | + 23 | |
| 51 | Grellier Fabien | Team TotalEnergies | + 23 | |
| 52 | van Uden Casper | Team Picnic PostNL | + 23 | |
| 53 | Bjerg Mikkel | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 23 | |
| 54 | Frison Frederik | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 23 | |
| 55 | Zukowsky Nickolas | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 23 | |
| 56 | Iribar Unai | Equipo Kern Pharma | + 23 | |
| 57 | Van Hautegem Leander | Wagner Bazin WB | + 23 | |
| 58 | Bregnhøj Mathias | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 23 | |
| 59 | González Abner | Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | + 23 | |
| 60 | de Bod Stefan | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 23 | |
| 61 | Elosegui Iñigo | Equipo Kern Pharma | + 23 | |
| 62 | Uriarte Diego | Equipo Kern Pharma | + 23 | |
| 63 | Pesenti Thomas | Soudal Quick-Step | + 23 | |
| 64 | Darder Sergi | Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | + 23 | |
| 65 | Delbove Joris | Team TotalEnergies | + 23 | |
| 66 | Kuzmin Anton | XDS Astana Team | + 23 | |
| 67 | Desal Cériel | Wagner Bazin WB | + 23 | |
| 68 | Richards Kane | Roojai Insurance | + 23 | |
| 69 | Gonov Lev | XDS Astana Team | + 23 | |
| 70 | Eyob Metkel | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 23 | |
| 71 | Pericas Adria | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 23 | |
| 72 | Phonarjthan Patompob | Roojai Insurance | + 23 | |
| 73 | Kristoff Alexander | Uno-X Mobility | + 23 | |
| 74 | Marcerou Nicola | Team TotalEnergies | + 23 | |
| 75 | Reinders Elmar | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 23 | |
| 76 | Bastiaens Ayco | Soudal Quick-Step | + 23 | |
| 77 | Raccani Simone | JCL Team Ukyo | + 23 | |
| 78 | Weemaes Sasha | Wagner Bazin WB | + 32 | |
| 79 | Buratti Nicolò | Bahrain Victorious | + 37 | |
| 80 | Ravbar Anze | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 37 | |
| 81 | D'Amato Andrea | JCL Team Ukyo | + 37 | |
| 82 | Hopkins Dylan | Roojai Insurance | + 37 | |
| 83 | Carrascosa Pablo | Equipo Kern Pharma | + 01:02 | |
| 84 | Aznar Hugo | Equipo Kern Pharma | + 01:02 | |
| 85 | Castellon Jan | Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | + 01:02 | |
| 86 | Dunbar Edward | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 01:02 | |
| 87 | Alabdulmunim Abdulaziz Azzam | Saudi Arabia | + 01:02 | |
| 88 | Aiman Shahmir | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 01:02 | |
| 89 | Vinokurov Alexandre | XDS Astana Team | + 01:02 | |
| 90 | Gamper Patrick | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 01:02 | |
| 91 | Azanza Ibai | Equipo Kern Pharma | + 01:02 | |
| 92 | Vinokurov Nicolas | XDS Astana Team | + 01:02 | |
| 93 | Majka Rafal | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 01:08 | |
| 94 | Mohd Shabri Muhammad Haizam | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 01:20 | |
| 95 | Kulset Magnus | Uno-X Mobility | + 01:23 | |
| 96 | Vangheluwe Warre | Soudal Quick-Step | + 01:24 | |
| 97 | Leijnse Enzo | Team Picnic PostNL | + 01:24 | |
| 98 | Alkulaif Alhur | Saudi Arabia | + 01:31 | |
| 99 | Yamamoto Masaki | JCL Team Ukyo | + 01:31 | |
| 100 | Azparren Xabier | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 01:39 | |
| 101 | Alfairouz Jehad | Saudi Arabia | + 01:55 | |
| 102 | Märkl Niklas | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 | |
| 103 | Pidcock Tom | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 00 | |
| 104 | Rosli Aiman | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 02:08 | |
| 105 | Miltiadis Andreas | Roojai Insurance | + 02:08 | |
| 106 | Cahyadi Aiman | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 02:10 | |
| 107 | Saenta Tanawat | Roojai Insurance | + 02:10 | |
| 108 | Kobayashi Marino | JCL Team Ukyo | + 02:10 | |
| 109 | Al Shaikhahmed Ali | Saudi Arabia | + 02:38 | |
| 110 | Almuhanna Bader | Saudi Arabia | + 02:38 | |
| 111 | Koishi Yuma | JCL Team Ukyo | + 02:51 | |
| 112 | de Kleijn Arvid | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 | |
| 113 | Sorarrain Gorka | Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | + 00 | |
| 114 | Jassas Ali | Saudi Arabia | + 06:34 | |
| 115 | Thimachai Kongphob | Roojai Insurance | + 06:39 | |
| 116 | Alhassan Ali Jehad | Saudi Arabia | + 07:20 | |
| 117 | Eekhoff Nils | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
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.
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