Tim Merlier: "I didn't have the legs and had some problems with the heat"

The thirteenth stage of Vuelta a Espana saw Mads Pedersen take his first stage victory in the tour. Tim Merlier was met with disappointment as he crossed the line in 62nd place.

"I didn't have the legs," Merlier said. He continues, "I didn't feel so good in the beginning, I had some problems with the heat. But I found some cooling, and in the second part of the stage, it went better. In the final, I was even well placed."

But when it was time to climb the final elevation, he could not compete against the likes of Pedersen and Ackermann. “I had no gear left on the steepest part, and then it creaks in the head as well. But then the final is even harder," concluded Merlier. He currently holds the 141st position in GC, 2 hours and 47 minutes behind overall leader Remco Evenepoel.