"It was really hectic!" - Tim Merlier second in 'crazy' sprint on stage 2 at Tirreno-Adriatico

In a frantic and technical sprint finish on stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico, Tim Merlier went early and for a while looked good until Jasper Philipsen powered around to take the win.

"It was really hectic!" Merlier reflects honestly post-stage in conversation with Eurosport. "It was crazy in the final and we followed positions but we were a bit too far in the last kilometre and before the last corner I tried from far out."

Whilst victory was ultimately a step too far, it's yet another positive showing for Merlier in 2024 after previous victories at UAE Tour and the AlUla Tour.

"I was on the inside and I lost some speed then there was still 200m to go so a bit too early but I gave it a try," he concludes. "I wasn't out of the top-3 so I can be happy with the shape and I'm looking forward to more."