'I remain a sprinter who has to survive' - Merlier eyes Tour stages over green jersey
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) knows he will have to wait until stage 5 for his first sprint opportunity at the Tour de France. The 33-year-old, who has taken three Tour stage wins across his career, spoke ahead of the race about his form, his sprint train, the new green jersey scoring system, and the tough closing week for the sprinters.
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Merlier had a disrupted spring after a knee injury restricted his early-season programme. The Belgian raced the Tour de Hongrie in May and the Baloise Belgium Tour in June before travelling to Barcelona for the Grand Départ of the Tour.
“Of course, my form is good, but we’ll see how it goes. I’ve only raced in Hungary and Belgium. This is three weeks of racing. The winter wasn't the same. I don’t have much experience with injuries. I'm ready for the Tour and I remain a sprinter who has to survive,” said Merlier at the pre-Tour press conference, according to Wielerflits.
The 2026 Tour opens with a team time trial in Barcelona, followed by three tough road stages before the first flat opportunity for the sprinters on stage 5.
“The preparation is always the same, except we don’t have goals in the first few days. Not until the fifth day. It is different from last year, but the preparation remains the same. As a sprinter, I have to stay fresh; that is my goal,” Merlier said.
Asked whether the four preceding stages made the opportunity on stage 5 more difficult to convert, Merlier said: “In the Giro, I also won the first sprint opportunity after a few stages. That is different, though. But the first sprint stage is a first sprint stage. The adrenaline is there, and you want to win for the team. Even if it is only the fifth stage.”
The Belgian’s sprint train has been strengthened by the addition of Pascal Eenkhoorn, who replaces the injured Mikel Landa in the Soudal Quick-Step Tour squad.
"My sprint train is stronger than last year; I often work only with Bert Van Lerberghe,” he said. “But now we also have Pascal Eenkhoorn with us, who (unfortunately) has to replace Mikel Landa. As a result, I am heading to the sprint stages with a strong train and with confidence."
Merlier will face a deep field of sprinters, including Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and debutant Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM).
“There are more sprinters than Philipsen and Kooij,” Merlier said. “I felt good in the Tour of Belgium, and we can work on the few mistakes there. I want to find my best form here in the coming weeks. I am completely ready for that.”
The green jersey scoring system has been changed for 2026, with the intention of rewarding sprinters who take multiple stage wins over the three weeks.
“If you win three or four stages, you go far in the green jersey classification. Last year it was close between Milan and Pogačar. That is possibly why this has been changed, to make it easier for sprinters. But you do have to win multiple stages. It would be nice to ride in the green jersey someday. We will see if that is possible when it comes to fatigue.”
The green jersey, however, is not Merlier’s primary target.
“The green jersey is not my goal,” he said. “First, I want to focus on winning stages. If I focus on the green jersey, it also costs a lot of energy during the stages with intermediate sprints. We will see.”
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