“The road was blocked and so we had to chase" - Tim Merlier survives 'hectic' finale to take victory at Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 2024
Cycling
Tim Merlier is having himself an incredible season in 2024. Just a few days after taking the victory at the European Championship in Limburg, Merlier sprinted to his 15th win of the campaign at Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 2024.
Taking the victory ahead of such sprinters as Arvid De Kleijn and Jasper Philipsen among others, it was actually a crash in the peloton just before the finale that posed the biggest threat to Merlier's hopes of glory. Despite not hitting the ground himself, the crash forced the Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter to chase back through the pack to the front of the race.
"It was quite hectic for us as a team, because there was a crash 10 kilometres in and we were behind it. The road was blocked and so we had to chase the group in front of us,” Merlier recalled in his post-race interview following his latest success. “In the last four kilometres we came back together and then it was a search for who I still had with me, because I had lost Bert Van Lerberghe."
In Van Lerberghe's absence, Merlier had to surf the wheels a little more than typical. “Warre Vangheluwe brought me well in the last kilometre. After that it was up to me to wait and join somewhere," he explains. "That turned out to be Philipsen's wheel. I had asked Warre to join the sprint, but he was stuck. They then came from behind and then I joined.”
Results: Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 2024
| 1 | Merlier Tim | Soudal Quick-Step | 125 | 03:56:00 |
| 2 | de Kleijn Arvid | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | 85 | + 00 |
| 3 | Philipsen Jasper | Alpecin-Deceuninck | 70 | + 00 |
| 4 | Taminiaux Lionel | Lotto Dstny | 60 | + 00 |
| 5 | Thijssen Gerben | Intermarché-Wanty | 50 | + 00 |
| 6 | Meeus Jordi | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 40 | + 00 |
| 7 | Mihkels Madis | Intermarché-Wanty | 35 | + 00 |
| 8 | Groenewegen Dylan | Team Jayco-AlUla | 30 | + 00 |
| 9 | Gautherat Pierre | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | 25 | + 00 |
| 10 | Hesters Jules | Team Flanders-Baloise | 20 | + 00 |
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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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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European Champion Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen go head to head in a chaotic, thrilling Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen! 😮
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