We last saw him race last October in the Netherlands, and after a period of problems that have marked the last two months, Tim Merlier is recovering well and his return to racing could come with the Ronde van Brugge at the end of March.

The Belgian was supposed to be at the start of the AlUla Tour and then the UAE Tour, but knee problems have postponed the start of the season for the thirty-three-year-old born in West Flanders. The problems for the Soudal-Quick Step sprinter appeared last December with an inflammation in his left knee: when training resumed during the December retreat, the inflammation also struck the right knee, which had never caused issues before.

After a period of rest, the problems seemed to subside and Merlier had resumed training during the team's January retreat, but towards the end of the training camp, the right knee problems resurfaced and the Flemish rider was forced to postpone his seasonal debut once again. This time too, the inflammation appeared in the right knee, the same one that had been treated with specific therapies in December, and the doctors have therefore prescribed an additional period of rest and treatment to reduce the inflammation.

Now there is finally room for cautious optimism at Soudal Quick-Step. The news released by the team is positive, and the rider has returned to cycling and is training without experiencing pain. At the moment, the workload is still limited, but the distances covered so far are encouraging, and in the coming days, the work should increase gradually. Today, a new meeting will be held with team athletes and managers, and during this occasion, various undefined programs will be addressed, including Merlier's return to racing.

Soudal-Quick Step wants to be cautious and does not want to rush, and therefore no date has been set for the Flemish rider's return. The opening weekend in Belgium has already been ruled out, and Paris-Nice (March 8-15) might also not be suitable for Merlier's comeback. At this point, attention is shifting to late March races, with the Ronde Van Brugge on March 25 and Gent-Wevelgem on March 29, followed by the Scheldeprijs on April 8.