PRESS CONFERENCE: “If you win three or four stages...” - Tim Merlier eyes green jersey after Tour de France rule change boosts sprinters against Pogacar and co
Cycling
Tim Merlier enters the 2026 Tour de France as one of the clearest sprint-stage threats in the race, but the Belgian champion’s route to green now looks different after a late points classification change. CyclingUpToDate were present at the Soudal - Quick-Step pre-Tour press conference to document every word.
The Tour’s decision to increase the reward for flat-stage wins from 50 points to 70 has shifted the green jersey conversation back towards the pure sprinters. After Jonathan Milan’s close battle with Tadej Pogacar in last year’s points classification, Merlier suggested the change may have been made to give stage-winning sprinters a clearer path towards green.
Merlier stopped short of declaring the jersey a firm target from day one, insisting the first objective remains a stage win. But he also made clear that if a rider can collect multiple victories, the green jersey can quickly become a realistic opportunity, even if the intermediate sprints and the fatigue of three weeks still make it a costly ambition.
The Belgian also spoke about his disrupted winter, his return from injury, the strength of his sprint train, the wait until stage 5 for the first likely bunch sprint, the challenge of surviving the final week and the inspiration Belgium’s football comeback might offer Soudal - Quick-Step if the Tour does not start perfectly.
Full Tim Merlier press conference Q&A
Question: Last year you had your first chance on stage 1 in Lille, and now the first real chance is on stage 5. What is the difference preparation-wise?
Tim Merlier: Preparation-wise, it is definitely the same. You only have team goals on the first days, and only on the fifth day do you have a personal goal.
Of course, I gave everything on the first day last year, and also now with the team time trial. It is different, but the preparation stays the same. You just need to spread the freshness, and that is what I need now as well.
Question: Last year you won two stages in the Tour de France. Is the green jersey a real objective for you this year?
Tim Merlier: They changed the points last week, but definitely we just need to win some stages and then green can become an opportunity. But first the goal is to win a stage, and hopefully a second and third, and then we see what is possible.
It takes a lot of energy, the green jersey, because of the intermediate sprints and also a lot of points. But yeah, we will see later.
Question: You have said a few times that you were a little bit worried about your shape coming into the Tour after missing the beginning of the season because of your injuries. Are you happy with where you are shape-wise?
Tim Merlier: Of course, I am sure my shape is good, but let’s see. It is only my second Tour, and the Tour of Belgium and Tour of Hungary were okay, but now it is three weeks. We need to see how the body reacts to that.
The preparation this winter was not the same as in past years. I do not have a lot of experience with injuries, so it is difficult to say. I think I am ready for the Tour, but I am still a sprinter and not a climber, so I need to survive. The climbers are a lot stronger than I am.
Question: The fact that there are now 70 points rather than 50 for a stage with a bunch sprint, can that play in your favour for the green jersey?
Tim Merlier: If you win three or four stages, then you are quite on the good way. Last year it was close between Milan and Pogacar, so maybe that was the reason to change the points, to make it a bit easier for a sprinter to take the green jersey.
Like I said, you need to win some stages to have an opportunity to win. It would be nice to ride once in the green jersey in the Tour. We will see later on if it is still possible with the fatigue to go for green or not.
Question: You returned to competition at the Tour of Belgium and got to feel what the level was like. What do you think about the sprinting competition in this year’s Tour, with Jasper Philipsen and Olav Kooij for example?
Tim Merlier: You have some other sprinters also. It is just important to be ready. I was feeling ready also in the Tour of Belgium.
Maybe there were little mistakes I can work on. I was trying to find my best level over there. Let’s see where I rank in the next weeks.
Question: How important is it to have your entire sprint train here, and who replaces Mikel now?
Tim Merlier: My sprint train is much stronger than last year. I am used to working quite well with Bert alone. That is the way we normally do it.
We practised a bit with Jasper in the Tour of Belgium. Now we have Pascal. Of course, we are going to miss Mikel for GC and for the mountain stages. He is also a guy who takes a lot of pressure away. Maybe now I have a bit more pressure. We will see. I have a good train here. I am confident for the sprints.
Question: Do you think the Tour is balanced enough for sprinters? The organisation is trying to keep the general classification as tight as possible, but do you think a lot of sprinters might go home after stage 12?
Tim Merlier: Of course, if you may have an opportunity in the last week, you want to try to take that opportunity. I think a lot of sprinters will think like this.
It is a really, really hard week. After the last opportunity, you only survive, definitely. Also the last stage has changed a bit, but I think it is still too hard after the hard week. Every chance you can take, you need to stay in the Tour. That is my opinion. So I have no idea yet to go home.
Merlier took victory at Scheldeprijs 2026 earlier this year
Question: Can you explain how different sprinting is on stage 5 after four hard stages, given that you have nearly won every first stage you have done in a Grand Tour?
Tim Merlier: I think in the Giro it was also the first sprint after stage three or five, I am not sure anymore. But okay, it is different. The first sprint stage is the first sprint in the Grand Tour.
The adrenaline is there, and you want to take that victory. You want to bring it home for the team. So I will be really motivated on stage 5, given that it is the first sprint stage.
Question: What are your thoughts on Belgium winning last night in the World Cup?
Tim Merlier: We got a bit delayed with the plane yesterday evening, so we were watching the first half. It was not good. Just before half-time, it was still possible to score a goal. The 1-1 was close, definitely.
Then we only saw the first 10 or 15 minutes of the second half. Then we saw the second goal, so it was over. That was a bit stressful because we were on the plane, so we did not know anything.
The first thing I did when we arrived here was watch the result and see that we still won. So it was a bit of a discussion, like always. But okay, I am happy that Belgium is still in.
It is a sport that makes it nice. It is possible to come back from 0-2 to 3-2. Maybe it gives us some inspiration. If it does not work directly for the team here, we can still fight for more.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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