Tim Merlier gifts Alpecin-Deceuninck a final victory before departure - "I gave my team a nice thank you with this win"

Tim Merlier won the Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen in a chaotic sprint against Mark Cavendish and Dylan Groenewegen. It was also his last race with Alpecin-Deceuninck’s jersey, and he considers the victory as a farewell gift.

"I gave my team a nice thank you with this win," Merlier said. A victory would be the perfect way for him to make his final race special with the team and his teammates. In order to win, he had to defeat sprinters Cavendish and Groenewegen. "I have been with Alpecin-Deceuninck for a very long time. And I always like to finish with a victory."

The victory is his first since he was crowned national champion in June. "Of course, I would have liked to give my team something more in recent months. But that didn't always come out for various reasons, no matter how hard I tried. Every time something went wrong. I chose the wrong wheel, got trapped in the sprint, and had to brake because riders in front of me threatened to fall... In short: luck was not always on my side," concluded Merlier. He will be a part of Soudal-Quick-Step from next year.