Tim Merlier headlining Tour of Slovenia for national championships preparation

Tim Merlier will have a different summer calendar to what was expected, with the Tour de France out of the schedule and an injury caught in the spring in the way of the form he hoped for in the secondary goals he's fixed up with Alpecin-Fenix.

Merlier recently returned to competition in the Belgian semi-classics, where he's had bad luck, but managed to return to top places at the recent Elfstedenronde Brugge where he finished third. Nevertheless, a disappointing result, as he explains: “Because I felt like it was there. That I didn't have a real lead-out? It was decided from the support car to make the race hard, but I still had two guys in support in the final. However, I chose to choose Jakobsen's wheel. That didn't quite work out, though," he said.

Merlier will not be riding the Tour de France this summer likely, however he's nevertheless aiming high as the Belgium road title - which he won in 2019 - will be his main objective, which he will be building up in the upcoming Tour of Slovenia.

“Now, with Slovenia even more in the legs, I should definitely be able to compete for the title in Middelkerke. The condition is there, unfortunately without result for the time being," he said. However he recognizes that it won't be easy to be successful in the hilly race: “I only expect one sprint in Slovenia. The last stage could still be possible, but with a small climb at ten kilometers from the finish, it could be that Pogacar unleashes his devils again."