After three silver and two bronze, Tim Merlier (31 years old) gave the first gold to Belgium in it Men’s European Road Cycling Championshipswhich was held this Sunday on a difficult 22.9 kilometer route, starting from Heusden-Zolder and the finish line is coming Hasselt (Belgium). The corridor of Alpine He was unopposed in the sprint after a hard-fought European Championship, where logic ultimately prevailed.
It is very difficult for a good breakaway to develop in the European Championship and for the winner to emerge from it. There are some cobblestone sections, but none of them are too difficult and there are no significant slopes, which also conditions the presence of runners, in a race where the choice of Great Britain is not present.
The most persistent, without a doubt, the runner who tried it up to three times, was the Dutchman Mathieu Van der Poel. The attempts of the Alpecin team riders did not achieve a serious margin in the lead of the race and the differences never exceeded 30 seconds. Behind it was Italy The choice always presupposes the search for escapees, constituting on more than one occasion a select group of adventurers of which Van der Poel, Van Poppel, Laportewho defends the title won in 2023 or Pedersen; with the Belgians more guarded, letting the rivals do their work.
CLASSIFICATIONS
1.Tim Merlier (Belgium), 4h37’09”
2. Olav Kooij (Netherlands), id.
3. Madis Mihkels (Estonia), id.
4.Jasper Philipsen (Belgium), id.
5. Alexander Kristoff (Norway), id.
6. Mads Pedersen (Denmark), id.
7. Pavel Bittner (Czech Republic), id.
8.Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Poland), id.
9. Christophe Laporte (France), id.
10. Alex Kirsch (Luxembourg), id.
With 14 kilometers to go the bell rang indicating there was only one flight left on the circuit. In this last 14,000 meters, the Danish team sought the impossible in the legs of Asgreen and Andersen. This is a tactic doomed to failure given the profile of the rest of the route and the advanced stage of the race. Italy would not let the race get out of control, although when push came to shove it failed.
The moment of truth
In the last sprint, the Italians lost, they couldn’t find their place, and this was it Belgium gained the most benefit from its conservative tactics. Merlier and Philipsen They made the count on their side, but this was the first one where they won with great authority, ahead of the Dutch Olav Kooij, bronze in 2023, and from Estonia Madis Mihkels, undoubtedly the big surprise and one who avoided the Belgium double by beating Philipsen by a whisker.
The first Spanish cyclist, on a route that not everyone conforms to the characteristics of co-directed by Pascual Momparleris Pau Miguel18th in the sprint.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
