Patrick Lefevere believes Tim Merlier can take step above Jasper Philipsen: "Tim is always calm, he can do it alone"
Cycling
Tim Merlier has won at the Saudi Tour and UAE Tour already this year, whilst Jasper Philipsen has not yet begun his season. Soudal - Quick-Step manager Patrick Lefevere is keen on comparing the two of them and believes his man can have an advantage.
"If you see who Tim beat here, they are the fastest guys in the world. The sprint is always very hectic, there is confusion but he doesn't need the lead-out of five men to be able to win," Lefevere said in words to GCN at the UAE Tour. "I think Jasper is a more nervous sprinter, Tim is always calm, he can do it alone. If he has a lead-out, of course, it is better, but Jasper needs space or he boxes space, as you saw last year at the Tour."
The Belgian team has supported Merlier to 11 wins in 2023, 5 of them at World Tour level. A very decent level for a rider that was not even taken to a Grand Tour - which may happen once again this year, although the Giro d'Italia may be in his plans as the team goes all-in for the overall classification at the Tour de France.
"He will be at Tirreno and also the Belgian races because he is Flemish. We think he is able to win Gent-Wevelgem unless they make that race too hard," Lefevere believes. The Belgian sprinter has in the past done quite well in the cobbled classics and will hope to have his best form in display at the time. "I don't see why it needs to do the Kemmelberg three times. He's a former cyclo-crosser so he should be good in Paris-Roubaix as well."
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To be fair, it was touch and go for the 2023 TdF due to the very difficult choice between FJ and TM, TM always having been rather disappointing in Tours, I think, considering the very tough start of 2023 it was quite logical and fair not to favour him, he doesn’t seem to cope well with the intensity of riding three weeks with mountains. It is probably also (knowing that this year they are not interested in TdF sprints) why he’s not in line for starting TdF2024 but being considered for a much more gentle starting Giro. Obviously, if he’d known how it would go for FJ, PL would have taken more risk with Merlier but I don’t think PL is a risk-taker when it comes to decisions to be taken in advance. If you understand French, there’s a very good analysis on the weighing up of 2023 on a Belgian website I can try to post.
We already know that. Pat Lef only did not give Tim a chance in the GTs
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- If he's very lucky maybe he can podium a Tour one season, I certainly don't believe he can win it, evervappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- Yeah, as if fans would now have acquired a right to an MVPD every generation ;-)Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- Yeah not this year anyway but worth keeping an eye on him (and some others) in future.Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- poor kid, saddled with all that “next mvdp” crap. eeesh…OCexile03-04-2025
- I don't think so, maybe in a different GT, not in the Tour. Last year, to be 3rd, he would have to be better than Remco. And he wasn't, on any terrainvappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- Or sprinting, or against wind. I think by now they’ve optimised the tire tech and pressures to largely smooth out rider weight effects. BUT, I’m going to go through past podiums to see what weight distribution trends are to be spotted coz I’m curious now.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- I also wasn’t too impressed by the final lead out, they’ve got to practice that, Wout had far too long to ride alone but then again it seemed as if the lead-outs had themselves run out of steam too early which is what makes me believe none of them could have won, Powfull looked totally fresh and in the end it was just a case of him being stronger than the others, not much you can do against that, just like you can’t outdo MVDP in the end when he’s in shape.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Exactly, a rider (or sprinter in athletics) can’t even tell themselves when it will happen until it does. Obviously if you have an idea that could happen, you should maybe envisage testing your theory with perhaps an small sharp attack well before race-end.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Yes but 20 minutes as a domestique isn’t 20 minutes as a leader, and you know as well as anybody that Pog winning is in no way a guarantee. Granted, neither Pog nor Remco nor Jinas nor Primoz or some more winning starts to seem far-fetched but a podium would certainly be targetable if he doesn’t have to worry about Jonas.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- The final appeal he lost against his old team for « breaking » his contract.Mistermaumau03-04-2025