“Some teams had strange tactics" - Tim Merlier disappointed at lack of cohesion in chase on stage 5 at Giro d'Italia
CyclingWednesday, 08 May 2024 at 18:26
The sprinters were left fighting for scraps on stage 5 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia instead of battling for the win as Benjamin Thomas took victory from the breakaway, much to stage 3 winner, Tim Merlier's disappointment.
“Some teams had strange tactics," the Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter assesses ruefully of the day in his post-stage interview with his team's official social media pages. "You see what happens when you don't work well together. Then you have a breakaway that will stay in front."
After bunch sprints on the previous two stages, stage 5 had looked a cert to be something similar, especially given most of the climbing took place with over 100km still to go. On that early climb, though, Alpecin-Deceuninck set an infernal pace, dropping most sprinters and catching the early break. In the end, it was the counter-attack breakaway, led by Benjamin Thomas that stayed away until the end.
"It was a strong breakaway but I can't believe they stayed in front because it was pretty, pretty fast. But yeah, they made it so chapeau!" Merlier concludes. "Some teams had the tactic to drop other sprinters but they killed their own team I think. Not a day for the sprinters today, congrats to the breakaway."
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- It says there was a crash just in front so then it’s unlikely due to lack of concentration, racing incident. At least he’s not blaming anyone ;-)Mistermaumau08-07-2025
- That is not good concentration for a GC rider in the last kms of a GT.abstractengineer08-07-2025
- I agree, the early big sprint stages in the Tour de France can be frustrating, especially when they’ve taken out GC contenders in the past. Starting with a mountain stage or a mountain time trial could tire out the sprinters early. That said, sprinters need competitive stages to justify their participation in the Tour.awp08-07-2025
- I doubt he would be at the level he is without training, perhaps some in the team were trying to pressure him into doing too much? If you consider it’s rare for a rider to do over 40k a year and that they average 35km/h (order of magnitude) that would be a little over 3 hours a day of cycling. Perhaps they expect him to do 6? But perhaps there’s a good reason nobody does more.Mistermaumau08-07-2025
- Jeez, even Roodthof said it was a racing incident, nothing more.Mistermaumau08-07-2025
- I totally agree with Adrie, it was an accident. Abbenhuijs and Roxene (who?) awful comments, really awful.
maria2024202408-07-2025 - You can clearly tell by some of these arrogant and shameless comments who has class, and who does not.
santiagobenites08-07-2025 - I can recall a DS at Visma saying earlier in the year I think that Jonas V needs to get training or words to that effect, as Pog. is at a higher level... maybe she needs to be a wife, that guy's paid well! and you respect that...
leedorney08-07-2025 - No, you just have to remember that when it comes to any Belgo-Dutch strife, (even for born in Belgium MVDP) each side will religiously back their own no matter if the other is right. It’s also ironic and not necessarily a coincidence that WVA rides for the Dutch and MVDP for Belgians, as if each tries to buy up the others’ elite to weaken the other side ;-)Mistermaumau08-07-2025
- Sprinting at a GT is a bit of a weird pastime anyway. Even on a track it’s safer and more regulated. Why force these guys to ride all that distance (thereby further endangering the GC contenders) just for that. Maybe the TdF can rethink how to present both in a safer way whilst keeping people’s attention? Organise sprinting events (e.g heats/qualification for finals like track bmx) separately for action at finish lines (and screens) all day whilst the GC riders make their way?Mistermaumau08-07-2025
Thought the complaining in that is gone, now that Remco was not in there
Maybe he pays someone in the peleton to do it for him ;-)
Maybe :-)
There is nothing wrong with Alpecin's tactic today. They need to drop the fastest sprinter on the climb in order to win (what is wrong with that?). And the breakaway thing is on all of you guys, you watching each other out and they won. Next time work together, burn together
It’s only my hunch but maybe they were just going for points for KG for the jersey?
Or have they giving some other goal for their time at the Giro. They picked up a bunch at the first sprint, would have done better at the second if the breakaway hadn’t started just before and if the breakaway hadn’t succeeded, KG might have picked up more than he did at the finish. Their original strategy would have got him close to leading the points classification and nobody was counting on this breakaway today, even though I suggested yesterday to Abstractengineer it would be a worthwhile possibility.
What good is dropping the other sprinters 100KM from the finish if you aren't going to keep pulling the rest of the way? And Milan was nowhere near being dropped.
Why don’t you consider THEIR reasons?
Maybe the points were more important to them than the finish?
Kaden isn’t likely to get a stage win but might fancy his chances for the points jersey.
He picked up 16 and Milan who leads only 21, had the winning breakaway formed just 10km later, he’d have picked up more than Milan.
Was responding to original post.