'It becomes a bit of a casino' - Merlier frustrated after chaotic Tour sprint finale

Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) was left frustrated after stage 11 of the Tour de France in Nevers, with the Belgian unable to fully contest the sprint for victory.

Merlier, who had claimed the previous two sprint finishes on stages 7 and 8 in Bordeaux and Bergerac, was favourite to complete a hat-trick of wins, given the manner of his victories. 

Ultimately, that wasn’t to be the case as Merlier struggled to find a clear run at the finish on Wednesday’s stage in Nevers, ending 14th, behind Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility), who claimed the fastest road stage in Tour history. 

The former European champion explained that the stop-start nature of the finale prevented him from ever feeling that he had the right opening to launch his effort.

"It’s always difficult when the pace suddenly drops, and the momentum is lost. No one wanted to take the initiative," Merlier told Sporza at the finish.

"It becomes a bit of a casino. I wanted to launch my sprint three or four times, but each time I had to steady myself to stay upright. I couldn't actually sprint, so I'm left feeling frustrated."

Merlier also revealed how he lost contact with key lieutenant Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) in the finale, leaving him to navigate the finale alone, surfing the wheels of others.

"I had lost Jasper [Stuyven], and at that point, it becomes a lottery. The moment they kicked into gear, I knew it was going to be all or nothing."

The 33-year-old admitted the riders were forced into a balance of fighting for position with the risk of crashing in a tense final kilometre.

"Everyone fights for position, and you have to choose whether to take the risk of pushing through and potentially crashing. That’s not something you want to happen, either."

Ultimately, with the form he has shown, not only at this year’s Tour but across recent seasons, Merlier believed the result could well have been different if a gap opened up, but that wasn’t the case, and he acknowledged it is part and parcel of bunch sprints.

"You just hope for a gap to open up. If I’d had one, something would certainly have been possible. I had to brake three or four times—there’s not much more to say about it."

After Wærenskjold’s perfectly timed effort denied him a chance at the hat-trick, Merlier won’t have to wait long for his next opportunity, as Thursday’s stage 12 to Chalon-sur-Saône looks to favour the sprinters.