European Champion Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen go head to head in a chaotic, thrilling Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen! 😮
“The road was blocked and so we had to chase" - Tim Merlier survives 'hectic' finale to take victory at Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 2024
CyclingFriday, 20 September 2024 at 19:00
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 |
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- Amazing ride by her and very promising for her future. On a side note, it’s a bit worrying all these wins riders have after emotional moments in their lives, someone will come up with emotional doping at some point. Maybe give them fake news just before a big race to get hormones pumping.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- I doubt he will have the energy to do that if he continues to do leadout for Phillipsenabstractengineer22-12-2024
- I know several people who’ve tried contacting sport airbag manufacturers and none of them ever got a reply. Might be hard to organise anything with such attitudes.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- It's the BBC. Who cares outside of little Britain.leodis22-12-2024
- Crawl back under your stone.leodis22-12-2024
- Thanks Dadmobk22-12-2024
- Hard to believe with the advancment of modern medicine he can not find a cause for this.frieders321-12-2024
- You continue to platform these two cheats. With that in mind I can no longer use your site. I know my leaving means little, but, sometimes you have to take a stand. See ya!DJ21-12-2024
- Look at what Froome’s won since his last TdF, stop denying there is still more than possible one outcome to the future.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Bruyneel understands nothing about clean competition.Sweep21-12-2024