PROFESSIONALS | 28/01/2025 | 14:15
di Federico Guido
Tim Merlier was unstoppable in the opening stage of the AlUla Tour 2025. In the anticipated first sprint of the Saudi race, the Soudal-Quick Step sprinter imposed himself ahead of Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) and Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), thus taking the first green leader's jersey. THE RACE REPORT. After the flag dropped, the day's breakaway quickly took shape, and after 12 kilometers Alexandre Vinokurov (XDS Astana Team), Azzam Alabdulmunim, Alhur Alkulaif (Saudi Arabia), Masaki Yamamoto (JCL Team Ukyo), Muhammad Nur Aiman Bin Rosli (Terengganu Cycling Team) and Kongphob Thimachai (Rooiaj Insurance) already had a 2'20" advantage. However, the peloton, after giving the attackers some space, immediately entered control mode and, thanks to the work of Jayco, Soudal, DSM, and Tudor, prevented the breakaway from gaining more than 2 minutes. The situation remained stable for several kilometers until, near the Hegra site, a new and decisive acceleration of the peloton brought the disadvantage to around 1'30".
This approach discouraged some members of the breakaway, who left the head of the race where, with 1'15", 45 kilometers from the finish, only 4 remained (Vinokourov, Rosli, Yamamoto, Thimachai). Their action was marked: the group progressively shaved off seconds with great ease, and in this way, despite Rosli and Yamamoto's attempt (winner of the intermediate sprint at the first passage of the finish line) to revive the attack in pairs, at -21 kilometers everyone was caught. In a compact formation, the peloton began the big maneuvers approaching the sprint, which were only disrupted by the sprint in which Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X) won the bonus seconds at the 2nd passage of the finish line ahead of Jens Reynders (Wagner Bazin) and Frank van den Broek (DSM), and by the crash involving Rafal Majka, Alexander Kristoff, and Arvid De Kleijn. On the final straight, the work of Soudal Quick-Step allowed Tim Merlier to emerge at the right moment, leaving Molano, a surprising Zijlaard, and Matteo Moschetti, 4th and first Italian at the finish line, behind him.
FINISH ORDER
1. Tim Merlier (BEL/Soudal-Quick Step) - 3:10:22
2. Juan Sebastián Molano (COL/UAE Emirates-XRG) - m.t.
3. Maikel Zijlaard (OLA/Tudor Pro Cycling) - s.t.
4. Matteo Moschetti (ITA/Q36.5) - s.t.
5. Dylan Groenewegen (OLA/Jayco-AlUla) - s.t.
6. Maximilian Walscheid (GER/Jayco-AlUla) - s.t.
7. Pierre Barbier (FRA/Wagner Bazin WB) - s.t.
8. Alberto Bruttomesso (ITA/Bahrain-Victorious) - s.t.
9. Sasha Weemaes (BEL/Wagner Bazin WB) - s.t.
10. Andrea D'Amato (ITA/JCL-Ukyo) - s.t.
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tim Merlier (BEL/Soudal-Quick Step) - 3:10:11
2. Juan Sebastián Molano (COL/UAE Emirates-XRG) a 0:04
3. Maikel Zijlaard (OLA/Tudor Pro Cycling) a 0:06
4. Fredrik Dversnes (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) a 0:07
5. Jens Reynders (BEL/Wagner Bazin WB) a 0:08
6. Frank van den Broek (OLA/Picnic-PostNL) a 0:09
7. Matteo Moschetti (ITA/Q36.5) a 0:10
8. Dylan Groenewegen (OLA/Jayco-AlUla) a 0:10
9. Maximilian Walscheid (GER/Jayco-AlUla) a 0:10
10. Pierre Barbier (FRA/Wagner Bazin WB) a 0:10
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