Tim Merlier: "I am very happy with this victory"

Alpecin-Fenix are having a good week, as they target success at the cobbled classics, they enter the final block on the right foot as Tim Merlier stormed to the win at the Minerva Classic Brugge-De Panne.

“Every week race on Wednesday please," he says, referring to his win at least week's Nokere Koerse. "It was beautiful side by side with Dylan [Groenewegen]. Thought I had it, he came back up and so I had to sprint. Apparently it was just enough," Merlier said after the finish.

The Belgian had started the Brugge-De Panne classic as one of the main favourites, and confirmed his status by taking another very important win for the team. Unlike some sprinters, he survived the technical finale in good position, and then took a close sprint win ahead of Dylan Groenewegen and Nacer Bouhanni.

“It was indescribable. If you show images from the peloton… I am especially happy that I am safely at the finish, and that I have won is twice as good. We knew the dangerous parts, but a fresh peloton is dangerous at every finish," Merlier added. "It is also always difficult with the bike path, because sometimes you can't help but ride on it. That is even more dangerous, because you also want to get rid of it as quickly as possible. But I am very happy with this victory. It's my third of the season and my second in the WorldTour. I am proud of that," he concluded.

Merlier has had a successful start to the season with wins at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Nokere Koerse, and he will be targeting a few more cobbled classics this spring, starting with Gent-Wevelgem this weekend where he will be one of the main favourites.