European Champion Tim Merlier has won the first stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour. At the end of the flat stage between Merelbeke-Melle and Knokke-Heist, he launched into a sprint from a long way out and no one could catch him. Sebastian Molano finished second, ten metres ahead of Ethan Vernon, Fernando Gaviria and Alberto Dainese. Logically, Merlier is also the first leader in the general classification and points classification. Tim Torn Teutenberg leads the young rider classification thanks to his seventh place.
The riders set off under a bright sun in Merelbeke-Melle. Two-time former winner Stijn Devolder sounded the starting signal for our five-day stage race through Belgium. Jules Hesters (Team Flanders – Baloise) scored the first victory after the local lap in Merelbeke-Melle by winning the first Flandrien Super 8 intermediate sprint.
Six riders were part of the early breakaway of the day towards the coast. Belgians Dylan Vandenstorme (Team Flanders – Baloise), Gianni Marchand (Tarteletto – Isorex) and Yorben Lauryssen (Pauwels Sauzen – Cibel), Dutchmen Frits Biesterbos (Beat Cycling Club) and Victor Broex (Metec-Solarwatt) and Frenchman Quentin Bezza (Wagner Bazin – WB) joined forces to take on the peloton. It was an uneven battle, as the sprinter teams, including Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen, never gave the early breakaway more than three minutes’ lead.
The second of three local laps featured the Golden Kilometre, which potential overall winner Filippo Ganna and others put their names on before the start. Jonas Abrahamsen (UnoX – Mobility), Florian Vermeersh (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) and Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto), among others, showed their ambitions for the classification by also picking up seconds for the overall classification.
After this exciting interlude, the large crowd looked forward to the traditional mass sprint on De Wandelaar in Knokke-Heist. The two Belgian top favourites, Tim Merlier (Soudal – QuickStep) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck) got a little boxed in during the nervous final kilometre. European Champion Tim Merlier found a gap and, as usual, did not hesitate. He outclassed his opponents with a long powerful sprint towards De Wandelaar ramp, where he left the opposition trailing behind him with a 10-metre lead. Sebastian Molano finished second ahead of Ethan Vernon, Fernando Gaviria and Alberto Dainese.
Today’s winner is logically also the first leader in the general classification of this Baloise Belgium Tour and leader in the Metec points classification. Tim Torn Teutenberg will wear the Belviva youth jersey tomorrow and Dylan Vandenstorme can proudly wear the Flandrien Super 8 combativity jersey between Beringen and Putte.
Merlier reacted with relief after a tense finish: “Just before the last kilometre, I had to make the decision to leave Bert (Van Lerberghe), they were coming up on the right and otherwise I would have been boxed in. Just when I wanted to move up, everything happened. I had to keep my legs still and swerve 3-4 times. I don’t even know where I started from, it was a bit too far out. The racing kilometres in this Baloise Belgium Tour will do me good ahead of the Tour de France.”
