"They played around with us": Winner Merlier not happy with tactics in leading group

Tim Merlier hit the mark in Paris-Nice for the second day in a row on Monday. In the sprints of the Race to the Sun, the Belgian from Soudal Quick-Step is still unbeatable, demonstrating once again that he is by far the fastest. "This is a victory I will remember."

As always, the tension was high in Paris-Nice, where a leading group of three was not given too much leeway. Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X) remained ahead the longest, although that was not precisely how the yellow jersey wanted it to go. "We had to keep a close eye on them. I think the leading group played around with us a bit. They let us drop back, and we gave them some space. In the end, Abrahamsen was very strong and could stay in front. The team did a great job, though."

With sixty kilometers to go, the nervousness in the peloton kicked in, causing several crashes. Merlier was among the biggest crashes, although he said he wasn't fully involved. "They crashed in front of me. I could brake, but someone hit me, and my wheel broke. At that point, I had to switch bikes."

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Merlier: "This is a victory I will remember"

In the end, he could move up to the front and join the final sprint. Merlier lost the wheel of lead-out Bert Van Lerbeghe but quickly followed Axel Zingle (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and finished it off from that position. "This is a victory I will remember. It is the first time I have won in a leader's jersey, or at least I cannot remember if it happened before," he said in his distinctive manner.

After two sprints, a team time trial is planned for Tuesday in Paris-Nice, where Merlier will probably lose his position as leader. "We will do our best, but it won't be easy."

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