Merlier hopes he fits into Tour puzzle Soudal Quick-Step: "Secretly dream of yellow"

At the Gala of the Flandrien in Belgium, the Soudal Quick-Step sprinter already strongly suspected he would not win the award. "It will be hard to win here today," he told Het Nieuwsblad. After his second-place finish, the 32-year-old Belgian addressed the possible plan to take both Evenepoel and Merlier to the Tour. "Whether I'm going to the Tour? I don't know yet. I read in Het Nieuwsblad that they planned to make the puzzle with me. I hope my puzzle piece fits in."

Merlier already won a stage in the 2021 Tour while still riding for Alpecin-Fenix. In the third stage, he ensured a one-two with teammate and compatriot Jasper Philipsen. "I would like to go to the Tour for a second stage win and secretly dream of yellow. I hope Bert Van Lerberghe can join me too; he can also play a role for Remco." The 32-year-old Van Lerberghe is the regular lead-out for his companion Merlier; for example, he was a crucial pawn in his teammate's triple-stage success at the Giro d'Italia.

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Patrick Lefevere already told at the presentation of the Tour route that a complex puzzle awaits him. The Tour de France starts with a stage for the sprinters, and so Merlier would be the candidate to win the yellow jersey for his team. "There are seven flat stages; you can't ignore that,' the team boss pointed out. 'It will be a serious puzzle for us, but we must seriously consider taking Merlier."