"Tim Merlier has shown that he is the fastest sprinter in the peloton" - Remco Evenepoel happy to share Quick-Step leadership at 2025 Tour de France

After a third placed finish on his Tour de France debut in 2024, Remco Evenepoel is widely expected to be among the leading challengers for Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard later this summer. In a slight change to Soudal - Quick-Step plans though, Evenepoel will share the team's leadership with Tim Merlier in 2025.

Not since 2021 has the current European champion Merlier performed at the Tour de France. According to Evenepoel though, his compatriot and teammate has done more than enough to deserve his return to the French Grand Tour. "I went to the wind tunnel at Specialized with Tim. We talked about this year's Tour there. Tim has shown that he is the fastest sprinter in the peloton. So there is no doubt that Tim will go to the Tour," explains Evenepoel in quotes collected by Wieler Revue. "He can win the first stage right away and get into the yellow jersey. It is also very close to where he lives. So no, that is not a discussion."

Against the GC super-teams of Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates - XRG and Vingegaard's Team Visma | Lease a Bike though, could the split goals of Soudal - Quick-Step make things more challenging for Evenepoel's Maillot Jaune dreams? As you might expect, it seems Evenepoel, Merlier and co have already discussed how to best balance both goals.

"On days with mass sprints, Bert Van Lerberghe and Tim have to protect me a little bit, but in the final phase they can do their thing," explains Evenepoel. "If there is a flat start in mountain stages, they will also ride in my service. And of course they have to make sure they come in on time. So that we don't have to continue the Tour with fewer riders."

"It is clear that we are not a team like UAE or Visma | Lease a Bike that are able to control the race," concludes the double Olympic gold medallist. "That is why we want to have multiple goals during the Tour."