Tour de Pologne stage 1: Tim Merlier sprints to opening day victory

Tim Merlier of Soudal-Quick Step marked his return to racing in team colours in fine fashion, by winning stage 1 of the Tour de Pologne, which saw the riders begin and end in Poznań. The Belgian unleashed a ferocious sprint to beat Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) and Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), who finished in second and third, respectively.

With the stage ending on the motor racing circuit in Poznań - and in light of the chaos that ensued when stage 4 of the recent Tour de France finished on the Nogaro motor circuit - the Tour de Pologne organisers announced before the stage that the GC timings would be taken 4km from the line and therefore before the riders entered the final circuit.

As it turned out, the riders needn’t just be concerned about the motor circuit, but also the intense downpour that plagued the peloton throughout the afternoon and resulted in multiple crashes. The day’s breakaway went up the road almost immediately from the flag drop on the outskirts of Poznań, containing Filippo Ridolfo (Team Novo Nordisk), Kamil Malecki (Q.36.5 Pro Cycling) and Norbert Banaszek and Patryk Stosz (Poland National Team).

Under the tutelage of Merlier’s Soudal-Quick Step outfit, the peloton roared on through the rain and was able to keep the four-man breakaway on a tight leash. Wanting to avoid any unneeded anxiety towards the end of the stage, Soudal-Quick Step oversaw the capture of the four opportunists with 55km to ride. Despite no further attacks going clear, at least three crashes occurred that saw Pascal Ackermann’s chances go up in smoke, whilst Jumbo-Visma, dsm-firmenich and Soudal-Quick Step pushed on at the front of the pack.

The peloton had dwindled in numbers by the time they approached the finishing circuit and it was here that Merlier took his chance, powering to the stage victory as Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Max Walscheid (Cofidis) showed their noses, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Merlier had not raced for Soudal-Quick Step since the Tour de Suisse in June and had never raced a road race in their colours, having joined the Belgian team at the start of 2023 as the national champion. After finishing 17th at the recent Belgian national championships, Merlier was forced to relinquish his tricolour jersey, but with the Belgian colours adorning his sleeve cuffs, the sprinter burst to success in Poznań.