Tim Merlier of Belgium stormed to victory in the elite men’s road race at the UEC Road European Championships after a chaotic sprint finish in eastern Flanders. The Belgian sprinter managed to recover from a dropped chain in the final 300 metres to surge past his rivals and claim the European champion’s jersey.
“It’s unbelievable,” Merlier admitted after the race. “My chain came off with three hundred metres to go and I thought it was over. But I got going, found a gap, and came out of the bunch at the right moment.”
Belgium entered the race with an unusual two-sprinter tactic, allowing both Merlier and Jasper Philipsen to ride their own race. Philipsen, who looked in position to take the win after finding the perfect line along the barriers, couldn’t hold off Merlier’s speed. Olav Kooij of the Netherlands secured second, with Estonia’s Madis Mihkels taking third place.
Reflecting on his victory, Merlier said, “I asked to be in the race because I believed I could win the championship. I did it, and I’m proud of it. This jersey means a lot, after twice being the Belgian national champion.”
A controlled start and aggressive middle
The 222km race around Hasselt and the surrounding cobbled sectors saw various teams take control at different stages, with Italy initially keeping a tight grip on the peloton. Early on, a breakaway consisting of Mathis Le Berre (France), Jonas Rutsch (Germany), Ivo Oliveira (Portugal), Nils Brun (Switzerland), and Félix Ritzinger (Austria) formed but was kept on a short leash, never gaining more than two minutes.
As the race progressed, Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) and Mads Pedersen (Denmark) ignited the action, launching attacks on the cobbled sections and forcing other riders to chase. Pedersen, reflecting on the Danish efforts, said, “I think Denmark tried really hard to get rid of as many sprinters as possible, but everyone is so good these days that it’s not so easy.”
Despite numerous attacks, the race came back together, thanks to the Italian and Belgian teams’ combined efforts to chase down the breakaway riders. With 50km to go, Pedersen and van der Poel launched a final attack alongside Christophe Laporte (France) and Danny van Poppel (Netherlands), but the peloton closed them down, setting up the sprint finish.
Photo Credit: Cor VosSprint showdown
In the final kilometres, Italy led the way, trying to position Jonathan Milan for the sprint. However, their lead-out faltered in the closing stages, and both Philipsen and Merlier moved into prime positions. Philipsen’s acceleration down the barriers looked promising, but Merlier, who came from behind, found more speed on the outside to take the victory. Kooij, who finished second, expressed disappointment after the race: “We rode a fine race… I had very good legs, but sadly I fell just short of grabbing the title.”
Mads Pedersen, who had pushed the pace throughout the day, finished sixth and remained philosophical about the result. “I think we can be proud of the way we rode as a nation,” he said, reflecting on Denmark’s aggressive approach. “We were all going full for it, but when Belgium and Italy didn’t have a guy in the break, they’d pull to close it. It was us against them, and they won that battle.”
Merlier’s win marks his 14th victory of the season, capping off a year that included two hard crashes in recent weeks. As he celebrated with his family, the Belgian rider took pride in his achievement, stating, “I’ve worked for this. I kept believing.”
2024 Men’s European Championships result
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Main photo credit: Cor Vos
