Paul Magnier finds an unlikely ally to win the Dwars door het Hageland

The rise of Paul Magnier has been one of the biggest positive news for Soudal - Quick-Step in recent times. The Belgian team has one of the sprint stars of the present (Tim Merlier) and now it seems like their long-term future is secured too with the 21-year-old Frenchman.

Just a week after winning the Heistse Pijl, Magnier raised his arms again this Saturday at the Dwars door het Hageland. He has now won 3 times in 2025, and 8 times as a professional.

In the Belgian semi-classic, Paul Magnier defeated Rasmus Tiller in a beautiful head-to-head battle after a hard day of gravel racing:

"I was very nervous before the race. From the start, it was full speed, no breakaways. Towards the end, I started to feel better. My teammates positioned me well for the important sections," the winner began by praising his teammates' work in key moments of the race.

Once the race really opened up on the hard parcours, it was Alpecin-Deceuninck with three of their riders including Tibor del Grosso and Jasper Philipsen in the reduced group. For Magnier who was alone at that point, it was a difficult situation. But thanks to unlikely ally he found in Rasmus Tiller, they were able to beat the odds.

"It was a bit difficult with Alpecin's numerical superiority. With Rasmus there was a good understanding. In the previous meeting they had told me that it was better to be offensive than defensive. Making up ten seconds on this course is not easy," added Paul Magnier, who will continue to work towards the possibility of riding the Tour de France in the future.

This year, the Frenchman will have an impossible task due to the dual presence of Remco Evenepoel and Tim Merlier at Soudal - Quick-Step. The Belgian team will fight for both the overall and the sprints, and right now Magnier is not yet superior to Merlier. The European champion is one of the favorites for the green jersey along with rivals like Jasper Philipsen or Biniam Girmay.