today, 07:50 | by Marnix Taes
Tim Merlier again had to give up on purple jersey Jonathan Milan in the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday. The East Flemish rider came into the wind a little too early and saw the Italian sprint past him, but initially seemed to get away with second place. Not so, because the competition jury subsequently ruled that Merlier had performed an illegal maneuver and therefore declassified the Belgian sprinter.
In the flash interview, Merlier obviously did not yet know that he had run into a disqualification and did not say a word about his maneuver, which knocked Juan Sebastian Molano off balance. The Colombian from UAE Emirates was unable to fully sprint, made a fuss against Merlier and ultimately finished sixth himself. ‘Bert Van Lerberghe did a perfect lead-out, but due to the headwind we were in the lead a little too early. The team really put me in a very good position and I started at two hundred meters from the finish, but then I realized that it was too early. I felt that Milan was coming, but hey, that’s the course.’
Back at the hotel, Merlier and Soudal Quick-Step responded briefly but strongly to the sanction at HLN. “The ride to the hotel was a nightmare,” says the Belgian formation. ‘We can’t really respond. It is a decision of the UCI and we believe it is their job to help people understand why they have come to this decision.’
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Van Lerberghe puts his hand in his own bosom, Merlier stands up for a permanent sprint buddy
Van Lerberghe himself once again reached out to Sporza. “It wasn’t that good,” Bert Van Lerberghe was self-critical. ‘The wind was against us and we completely lost our speed. They could have come from behind. It was timed a little too early. It wasn’t ideal. The team did perfectly and we stayed out of trouble, but we knew you had to get off the wheel. It was hectic. Regrettably.’
Afterwards, Merlier also stood up for his regular sprint buddy. ‘If he waits 2 seconds longer, we will be boxed in and have nothing at all. That’s sprinting. You decide in a split second. Sometimes things go well, other times not.’
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Kaden Groves: ‘Jasper Stuyven took me out of Milan’s wheel’
Kaden Groves once again had to be satisfied on Tuesday with a close place of honor in the sprint in the Giro d’Italia. The Australian leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck was nevertheless very well prepared to go for his first stage victory, but saw Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and winner Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) roll over him.
“It was seriously hectic,” Groves responds in the flash interview. ‘The team did a fantastic lead-out and I am happy that I was able to sprint. So there really isn’t much going wrong. Only Jasper Stuyven took me away from Milan’s wheel, leaving me about five hundred meters into the wind. That cost me dearly.’
Groves finished second behind Milan in the fourth stage and had to settle for seventh in stage four in Naples. A victory has not yet been possible after his third place in Francavilla al Mare. ‘I’m of course disappointed that I haven’t been able to win yet. I perform well and am also in good shape. Now it’s a matter of keeping going and then I’m sure victory will come
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2024-05-16 05:50:00
#Merlier #Soudal #QuickStep #disagree #UCI #declassification #ride #hotel #nightmare
