"I've rarely seen him like that" - Soudal - Quick-Step DS impressed by ultra-sharp Tim Merlier
Cycling
Soudal - Quick-Step made no mistakes on the way to Châteauroux in ninth stage of Tour de France and their sprinter Tim Merlier did not hesitate to secure a third victory for the Belgian formation.
"It was a thriller, but with a beautiful ending," sports director Tom Steels told Sporza with a scent of excitement in his voice. Thrilling action for the man who remembers the good old days of Wolfpack.
Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert almost pulled off the impossible and won the stage with a two-man breakaway. "That duo up front rode incredibly hard," Steels applauded the Alpecin-Deceuninck riders.
Tim Merlier wins in Châteauroux (stage 9)
"I felt a certain tension with Tim Merlier. I've rarely seen him like that. He was really good today," Steels sensed that the European Champion was extra motivated to succeed today.
When crosswinds opened up the race, we could see the Belgian grab his radio. "Together with Bert (Van Lerberghe), he sensed that the leading group wasn't the best. It didn't break and they pulled away again, but luckily there was some support at the end. And then a speed race followed. Hats off to the whole team."
"Today was a thriller, but with a good ending," sports director Klaas Lodewyck celebrated. "I thought it was a pretty good situation, but the leaders were obviously not perfect. When the gap became quite large, we felt Lidl-Trek reacted rather late. We rode along to be safe at the front. They held up well, but when you're so close at the end, you can't hesitate. That little effort doesn't make the difference anymore."
Soudal - Quick-Step leaders were everywhere they had to be today, with Remco Evenepoel even briefly appearing at the front of peloton. A completely different approach to when the Olympic champion lost time in Lille week ago. "They learned their lesson well after the first day. We knew where the wind was blowing and we know the area. You have to race with it to be safe."
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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