Merlier becomes joint record holder at the Ronde van Limburg
In Tongeren‑Borgloon, Tim Merlier proved to be the fastest rider of the bunch. The Belgian claimed his second victory at the Ronde van Limburg, thereby becoming joint record holder. In the uphill sprint on the Elisabethwal, he convincingly beat Fernando Gaviria and Floris Van Tricht.
In pleasant spring weather, the peloton got underway at 1:00 p.m. from Kolonel Dusart Square in Hasselt for the 78th edition of the Ronde van Limburg. The riders faced a course of 178 kilometres towards Tongeren‑Borgloon, with the finish located on the Elisabethwal.
The first climb of the day immediately led to the formation of the early breakaway. Vermoote (Tarteletto–Isorex), Babovich (Bahrain Victorious) and Philipsen (Lidl‑Trek), a former junior world champion, broke clear on the Glinberg. The leading group built up a maximum advantage of three minutes, while all the sprint teams contributed to keeping the escape under control.
With 55 kilometres to go, Philipsen launched a solo attack. On the cobbles of Manshoven, the Dane dropped his fellow escapees and began his lone effort with a one‑minute lead. The peloton, however, kept the breakaway within reach and controlled the race towards the finale. Along the way, there were numerous punctures, notably for Crabbe (Team Flanders‑Baloise) and Bennett (Pinarello‑Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team).
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At 19 kilometres from the finish, the peloton caught the last remaining escapee, marking the start of the final phase of the race. Several attacks followed, but none proved successful, leaving the peloton to prepare for a mass sprint.
In the finale, De Gendt (Pinarello‑Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) tried once more with a late attack, causing some nervousness in the bunch. He took a small group of five riders with him, including De Bondt (Team Jayco AlUla) and Teutenberg (Lidl‑Trek), but this move was also neutralised with four kilometres to go.
In a reduced peloton, Merlier launched his sprint from distance. The Belgian immediately opened up a gap and gave his rivals no chance. He thus claimed his second victory at the Tour of Limburg and became joint record holder. Gaviria and Van Tricht joined him on the podium.
