Merlier saw rival Kooij make 'deadly' mistake in Renewi Tour: "I could hold on"

The finishing stretch suddenly turned uphill viciously. That's why it was a good thing Merlier set up his sprint later than rival Kooij. “It was a very tough finish, but the guys put me in a really good position,” Merlier said in the flash interview. “In the final 500 meters I got a bit boxed in, but I managed to get out. Kooij was leading at first, but I think he went a bit too early. He started to slow down, and I was able to hold my speed. It was enough for the win.”

For a moment, the European champion was boxed in, but he still found his gap. “We were on Kooij’s side, and I thought it would open up there, but instead it opened on the other side of the road. Then it was full gas to the line. It’s a finish that suits me, but of course it’s very tricky when it comes to timing. Too early is deadly. This time I felt like I came out too late, but it just dragged on long enough, although I’m not even sure exactly when I launched.”

For once, it wasn’t up to Soudal Quick-Step to chase from the start. “We were down to just five riders. For once, we didn’t take the initiative from the beginning,” the winner explained. “But the other teams, aside from Tudor and Lotto, were hesitant. I know from experience that these situations often come down to the wire. Others might get stressed, but I thrive on it.”

Merlier gave credit to Vanlerberghe, even though he couldn’t continue after stage three. “Bert wasn’t feeling well yesterday and decided to stop. He sent me a message this morning. He may not have been there, but I kept in mind how he would have done it. The guys stepped up really well.” His compatriot even sent him a message with tips for the final sprint. “I don’t know if I executed it properly, but at least I won.”