Tim Merlier surprises himself in Scheldeprijs: "I had many doubts and questions"

After the Tour of Bruges, the Scheldeprijs was only the second race of top sprinter Tim Merlier this season. A persistent knee injury kept him out of competition. And yet, he won the unofficial sprinters' world championship for the third time in a row. “When I launched my attack, I knew they would have to come from strong teams,” he cheers afterwards.

“This means a lot to me,” he says visibly moved after his victory. “Winning the Scheldeprijs for the third time, three times in a row… And this time with a lot of question marks, with many doubts. Was I really good enough? I felt myself getting better and better in training, but on race day, I didn’t have my best legs. That’s understandable (with such preparation, ed.). Maybe it was partly because of the heat as well.”

Merlier during the flash interview with his son - photo: fotopersburo Cor Vos[/caption]

In the finale, he narrowly escaped two severe crashes. “I dodged them in a phenomenal way. I had to bring out my best cyclocross skills to slip through the gaps. Then I heard that my usual lead-out Bert Van Lerberghe was no longer there, but Fabio Van den Bossche was. I had already seen some great things from him. In the last kilometer, I felt I was perfectly positioned. For a moment, I even feared that I might get boxed in.”

“Then I did it my way: I attacked on instinct, starting 250 meters from the finish,” continues the Soudal-Quick-Step sprinter. “For a long time, I thought I no longer had an explosive kick in my legs. But when I hit the gas, I knew they would have to be very strong to pass me. And that’s a relief. It hasn’t been the easiest period: will I still be able to race at my best? How long will this last? This win definitely gives a serious confidence boost.”