“My chain was also off, so that was a bit of a panic" - Tim Merlier victorious for third year running at Nokere Koerse

For the third year running, Tim Merlier proved strongest at Nokere Koerse on Wednesday afternoon, sprinting to the win ahead of the likes of Fabio Jakobsen and Jasper Philipsen.

“There was little organization towards the end. There were many attack attempts, as we predicted. In the end I was surprised that we were still sprinting with such a large group," the Belgian reflected in his post-race interview. "I got back into position thanks to the good work of the team. But then Pascal Ackermann did a manoeuvre that sent me flying into my own train. Jonas Rickaert, my own lead-out, then fell. It was a serious crash.”

There were plenty of crashes on a crazy day in Belgium with numerous riders hitting the deck. “I was touched by the moment,” Merlier continued. “My chain was also off, so that was a bit of a panic. Fortunately it came back and I could start my sprint in the slipstream. Bert Van Lerberghe (his lead-out, ed.) went to the left and that created a gap. I dove in and immediately had a big lead. It is nice to be able to win for the third time in a row so close to home.”