"Some riders prefer to crash rather than sprint" - Tim Merlier upset to have missed his last sprint opportunity
Cycling
All sprinters had stage 17 marked in red in their roadbooks. Tim Merlier who already raised his hands twice during this Tour de France also had his sights set on today. But the rainy arrival to Valence was scarred by a big crash just under the flamme rouge with most of peloton blocked, including the Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter who could only envy Jonathan Milan as he equaled his victory tally.
According to the Belgian, such a crash was an expected outcome. "I can make a list before the race and say who'll be down if someone crashes. I'll have to take another good look, but I already know a few names," he sighs.
"Some riders are simply pushing the limits a bit more than necessary," Sporza reported. "They prefer to crash rather than sprint. The good news is that I didn't crash today. That's up to them. I don't know exactly what's going wrong. There are a few riders I'd rather not get behind in the chaos."
Merlier was already dropped at times during the stage, but thanks to a dedicated work of his team, the Belgian would still arrive to Valence with a shot at his third victory. But the last kilometers went far from ideal.
"I was completely out of control, otherwise I wouldn't have been behind the crash. I still had the feeling it was going to work out. I was moving up and made the wrong choice twice, taking the right side of the roundabout. That was my own fault, but I felt I was going to put things right."
"I'm standing here with mixed feelings. I missed another opportunity, but on the other hand, I stayed upright. Fortunately, I already have two victories under my belt and I can look back on my Tour de France with satisfaction," said the Belgian.
His voice indicates that he doesn't believe in one more sprint opportunity in Paris, with the Montmartre circuit in mind. But with the finish line in sight, the European champion silently vows to finish the Grande Boucle for the first time in his career. "That will be very difficult. It will be a tough three-day race where my legs won't be very happy," he said, looking ahead to the Alps.
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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- Fair enough. Everyone’s entitled to one and I respect yours! Nothing wrong with being a one week and GT guy if that’s his vibemij07-11-2026
- LOL...it's a predetermined finish ! N one is 'clashing' at these exhibition crits!frieders307-11-2026
- Surely the UCI and the race organisers have a responsibility to ensure the best medical care is available to riders when incidents like this happen. All very well pushing for global expansion but not so good if riders lives are put at risk because medical support is not up to scratch.Andy12306-11-2026
- Well it clearly helps that this was Pidcock's own car, no?Occam06-11-2026
- The American performance at the World's road race was a masterclass in cycling tactics. If it wasn't McNulty, it might well have been Jorgensen or Simmons to take off and win in a solo break.Occam06-11-2026
- What a gimmick
Rafionain-Glas06-11-2026 - Thats only cause he rides for UAE. In any other team he would be captain in many races atleast. UAE is just to crazymiguel06-11-2026
- He seems to be the rare athlete whose passion and curiosity about life beyond his sport equals his extraordinary achievements in it. It would be great for him to risk less of that life. He seems very grateful and joyful for what he has already attained.
MarkFour06-11-2026 - As much as I admire and even revere Wout, the less I know about his backside the better.MidnightRider06-11-2026
- Ok, Walt 🤣... Vingegaard would be lucky to get on the poduim. He would not beat Seixas or Del Toro, let alone TP. Then there are the Americans...BD06-11-2026
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