Merlier sprints to a third stage win in Hungary's closing stage as late attack falls short

The fifth and final stage of the Tour of Hungary was won on Sunday by Tim Merlier. The Soudal Quick-Step sprinter was the most emphatic finisher at the end of an energy-sapping sprint. Jakob Söderqvist secured the overall classification title for Lidl-Trek.

After Merlier won stages one and three, and Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE) claimed stage two, it was Söderqvist who seized control in the shortened queen stage four. As expected, the final stage was not hard enough to threaten that lead — though there were still some small climbs to navigate.

It was racing from the gun, with several prominent names trying to force an early split — but none succeeded. Eventually a group of seven got clear. With Gerben Kuypers (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez), the best-placed rider in that group, sitting 2 minutes 11 seconds behind race leader Söderqvist, there was no real threat to the overall. The peloton allowed them to build a lead of just under two minutes.

The break's advantage was steadily reduced throughout the stage. With 30 kilometres to go, they had just thirty seconds in hand. The hilly section featuring four two-kilometre climbs at six percent had produced little action, and the closing stage appeared to be heading for a bunch sprint.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG had other ideas. Taking advantage of a stiff crosswind, they sent the peloton into echelons. Race leader Cosnefroy himself did significant turns at the front. UAE's plan worked: they made the bridge across to the lead group, as did the alert Söderqvist, Luke Plapp and Slovenian champion Jakob Omrzel.

The group opened a gap, but the peloton was close behind. Then the front group fractured in two — partly due to a crash involving race leader Söderqvist. Plapp, Martin Svrcek and Krists Neilands found themselves out in front. Söderqvist recovered quickly and held his position in the reduced peloton behind.

The three-man group worked well and had almost 30 seconds with eight kilometres remaining. Lidl-Trek meanwhile used all their remaining riders to reduce the gap to Plapp — the Australian sat just under a minute behind Söderqvist in the GC. Ultimately Söderqvist himself also contributed to the chase.

Lidl-Trek's efforts paid off: the leaders' advantage had been cut to fifteen seconds with five kilometres to go. Söderqvist could breathe easy — his overall title was all but confirmed.

In the fight for the stage win, Plapp and company held firm — though Plapp had to let a small gap open to Svrcek and Neilands in the closing phase. The peloton was right behind, and Mike Teunissen seized a slight uphill to bridge across. The Dutchman got there, but the margins were razor thin in the final kilometre. UAE came forward in the peloton. The three breakaway survivors were overhauled, and a Soudal Quick-Step rider tried an opportunistic attack. It didn't work — but his teammate Tim Merlier then claimed the victory in an attritional sprint.