2 sprints, 2 victories for Tim Merlier on that Tour de France ! Deviated from the 9th stage sprint this Saturday, the Belgian of the Soudal Quick-Step took his revenge this Sunday on the 10th stage by jumping Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) on the line. While the peloton almost was trapped by Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-deceuninck), the European champion remained calm and in the wheel of his launcher Bert Van Lerberghe To seek his third success on the roads of Tour de France.
VIDEO – TIM MERLIER, UNSIDUCED ON THE TOUR DE FRANCE
“I was more confident with Bert Van Lerberghe in front of me”
After a week of high intensity racing, the bodies were put to the test. Add to that the heat of July and the wind, you will get a mixture that did not really like Tim Merlier : Without the heat, it would have been good but, I was really nervous. Five and a half minutes for Mathieu Van der Poel is a lot, we tried to help and other teams started to ride. The rhythm was high enough, for them also, as I said, it was difficult for those of the breakaway as for those who were rolling. It was just nervous. Remco was really strong, when he rides like that, he does not smell his legs. It can go back easily but there was the possibility of having borders. Bert and I were there, we tried to protect ourselves as much as possible from the wind, but thank you to Remco. “
But enough to reassure him, his guardian angel and pilot fish, Bert Van Lerberghe Finally was able to take her sprint to him, after being deprived of it during his first victory: “Bert and I were Efin together, the first time on the Tour, and I was so much more confident with him in front of me. I did a very good job. At one point, I thought I was locked up, but I was able to go out just before the 200 meters, I went there right away, and I am super happy to be able to win my second stage on the Tour.”
