“The road was blocked and so we had to chase" - Tim Merlier survives 'hectic' finale to take victory at Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 2024

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.”