Tim Merlier takes victory in Bredene Beach Race after narrowly avoiding crash with quad bike

Tim Merlier has taken victory on the sand at the Bredene Beach Race in Belgium. En route to victory however, the Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter narrowly avoided disaster and a crash with a quad bike.

With a number of familiar names from the World Tour peloton taking part in the race, including the likes of Yves Lampart, Tim Declercq, Bert van Lerberghe and Jonas Rickaert, the competitors faced a number of challenges.

One challenge that faced Merlier however, was something that hadn't been expected. The 31-year-old Belgian was forced to press hard on the emergency brakes as he rounded a corner and almost went head first into what would have been a brutal crash with one of the race's security quad bikes. Footage of the incident can be seen courtesy of Laeremans Cycling Team's Instagram story.