Latest news with #Merlier
Daily Tribune
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Two in a row for Merlier at UAE Tour
Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier surged from deep in the pack to claim victory in the bunch sprint on stage six of the UAE Tour at Abu Dhabi Breakwater yesterday. With this win, Merlier and Italian Jonathan Milan each have two stage victories in a race filled with fast sprinters. Merlier had won Friday's stage, while Milan took the opener and stage four. Milan leads the sprint points race with 65 points, followed closely by Merlier with 56. Merlier finished just ahead of compatriot Jasper Philipsen in second, with Milan taking third after Merlier's seventh career win in the UAE. Tim Merlier (C) celebrates a second victory in the UAE Tour The 176km stage around Abu Dhabi, Khalifa City, and Yas Island was no easy feat. "It might have looked easy, but believe me, I suffered," Merlier said. "A kilometre from the line, I didn't think I'd make it. Beating guys like Jonathan and Jasper is always important." Cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar holds the overall lead ahead of Sunday's final mountain stage, which includes a tough 10km climb with 8-10% gradients. Racing for the local Team UAE, Pogacar built his lead after finishing close to time-trial winner Josh Tarling on Tuesday and then extending it on Wednesday's hilltop finish.
Dubai Eye
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Dubai Eye
Tim Merlier wins stage 6, claims second victory of UAE Tour
Tim Merlier claimed his second win of the 2025 UAE Tour after securing the lead in stage 6 on Saturday. The Belgian cyclist of Soudal Quick-Step blasted through to hit the front and claim a dominant win as the rest of the sprinters picked up the scraps behind him. Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates - XRG still holds the overall lead. The seventh and final stage of the race is set to take place at Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain on Sunday. What a sprint that was from Merlier 🏆 The Soudal Quick-Step rider launched early and surprised his rivals to win Stage 6 at the UAE Tour with a huge gap back to 2nd place. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭: 1. Merlier 2. Philipsen, s.t 3. Milan, s.t 📸 Sprint Cycling _____________ 🇦🇪 #UAETour — Velon CC (@VelonCC) February 22, 2025
Iraqi News
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Iraqi News
Merlier edges UAE Tour sprint as Pogacar retains lead
Dubai – Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier won the fifth stage of the UAE Tour in a close finish on Friday as Tadej Pogacar retained the overall lead. Merlier survived a badly-timed toilet break when Pogacar went on a surprise breakaway. But after being outpaced by Italian rider Jonathan Milan on the two previous sprint finishes, he took emphatic revenge, refusing to be distracted by a late crash that split the peloton. The Belgian edged another Italian, Matteo Malucelli, on the line. Milan, of Lidl Trek, missed not only a hat-trick of wins but also lost second place to his compatriot. 'We discussed yesterday with the team what we did wrong, and today we did a really good job,' Merlier, who rides for Soudal Quick Step, said at the finish. 'They brought me in a really good position towards the last one kilometre and a half, and in the last corner I came onto the wheel of Milan. 'I was waiting, waiting, waiting for my moment. I'm really happy.' The day was shaped by a breakaway containing Pogacar, of Team UAE, who spent more than 100km of the flat 160km stage ahead, increasing the pace of the stage for everyone. Pogacar picked up three seconds in bonuses on the intermediate sprints to increase his lead to 21sec over second-place Josh Tarling. 'It was not the plan to extend my lead through time bonuses today but the move happened in a funny moment,' Pogacar told the press conference. 'Other guys followed as well and it turned out to be a breakaway.' 'It was a good day out,' said Pogacar after his workout. The breakaway was at one stage more than two minutes ahead, forcing the teams of the leading sprinters to chase. 'Some riders were really motivated to have a training day today, so it was a hard pace all day,' complained Merlier at the finish. He added that the attack had come at a bad moment. 'I was coming back from a pee stop when Tadej Pogacar attacked and we started pulling, then we asked help from other teams. The guys did a very good job to bring it back.'
