Merlier takes early lead in AlUla Tour and narrowly beats Coquard, securing his second stage victory

Tim Merlier won the fourth stage of the AlUla Tour on Friday afternoon. The Belgian sprinter was faster than Bryan Coquard and Casper van Uden after a mass sprint. With his second stage win, Merlier also took over the lead in the general classification.

Whereas crosswinds had decisively shaped the race on Thursday, Friday saw calm conditions in the Saudi desert. From a gravel section in Hegra, three riders embarked on the day's breakaway: Spaniard Iker Bonillo (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Cypriot Andreas Miltiadis (Terengganu Cycling Team), and Mongolian Tegsh-bayar Batsaikhan (Roojai Insurance). This setup was ideal for the sprinters' teams, Soudal-Quick Step and Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL, who kept the trio within a manageable distance.

Crash dashes De Kleijn's chances

With around twenty kilometers to go, the Cypriot was still resisting, but nothing could prevent a sprint finish in the city. Tudor Pro Cycling pushed forward for De Kleijn. However, the Swiss team had to abandon their hopes for their first victory of 2024 six kilometers from the finish, when one of their riders unclipped and caused a significant crash. Among the victims were Ivo Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates), Warre Vangheluwe (Soudal-Quick Step), and De Kleijn himself.

Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL took control at the front of the peloton, setting up a strong lead-out for the sprint. Merlier was positioned slightly behind, drafting off his regular lead-out man, Bert van Lerberghe. The pace was exceptionally high, and Merlier started his sprint early. The Belgian quickly gained a significant lead with a few powerful strokes, but his pace slightly dropped towards the end in Maraya, allowing Bryan Coquard of Cofidis to make a strong comeback. At first glance, it was unclear who had won, and even the Frenchman thought he had clinched it, but the replay showed that Merlier was just a tire width faster. Van Uden finished third behind the duo, with Rick Pluimers of Tudor in fourth.

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