Eneco Tour: Tim Merlier wins stage 1 sprint in Ede ahead of Dylan Groenewegen

After the 3.1km prologue to set the leaderboard, stage 1 took place with a flat 40-kilometre circuit on the north side of Ede tackled three times for 120km.

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The peloton began the opening kilometres sizing up each other under the sunny skies, with the seven WorldTour teams massing at the front. Then a trio from a Dutch Continental squads were allowed to accelerate away – Johan Dorussen (Metec-SOLARWATT p/b Mantel), Rick Ottema (EEW-VDK Cyclingteam) and Luke Verburg (Azerion-Villa Valkenburg). .

Once on the second circuit, the three riders took shares in maintaining their breakaway and built a gap of 3:00. On the approach to Ede for the final loop, the gap began to fade as the peloton sensed time to position their fast men.

Johan Dorussen of Metec-SOLARWATT p/b Mantel, Rick Ottema of EEW-VDK Cyclingteam and Luke Verburg of Azerion-Villa Valkenburg compete in the breakaway (Image credit: Getty Images)

The breakaway trio scooped up all the bonuses at the intermediate sprint with 24km to go, but the peloton was only 15 seconds back with 15km to go. A wall of sprint teams, led by Soudal-QuickStep, Picnic PostNL and Unibet Rose Rockets, spread across the road and charged from behind to end the breakaway with 11km to go.

As the shadows began to stretch across the road with the sun beginning to fade in late afternoon, the peloton seemed to settle down on the next four kilometres heading back into the city limits. Visma-Lease a Bike edged to the front to support Christophe Laporte alongside Soudal-QuickStep while Unibet Rose Rockets held position on an outside line for Wessel Mouris with Lotto-Intermarché sending riders up. Lidl-Trek was there for race leader Jakob Söderqvist, biding their time as the finish neared.

It wasn’t until 2km to go that the wide procession began to fracture, Soudal-QuickStep amping up the action. This straight run led to a defining sharp left-hand corner onto Arnhemseweg for the final 400 metres.

On that final corner, Merlier used the slipstream of his teammate Bert Van Lerberghe to vault from sixth position to first as he flew down the straightaway for the victory.

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Position

Rider (Country) Team

Time

1

Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal-QuickStep

2:32:59

2

Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets

0:00:05

3

Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech

0:00:03

4

Christophe Laporte (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike

Row 3 – Cell 2

5

David Dekker (Ned) Beat Cc P/B Saxo

Row 4 – Cell 2

6

Pavel Bittner (Cze) Picnic PostNL

Row 5 – Cell 2

7

Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Picnic PostNL

Row 6 – Cell 2

8

Steffen De Schuyteneer (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché

Row 7 – Cell 2

9

Florian Dauphin (Fra) Totalenergies

Row 8 – Cell 2

10

Jakob Söderqvist (Swe) Lidl-Trek

Row 9 – Cell 2

11

Leander Van Hautegem (Bel) Team Flanders- Baloise

Row 10 – Cell 2

12

Davide Donati (Ita) Red Bull- Bora- Hansgrohe Rookies

Row 11 – Cell 2

13

Edward Theuns (Bel) Lidl-Trek

Row 12 – Cell 2

14

Mike Bronswijk (Ned) Eew-Vdk Cyclingteam

Row 13 – Cell 2

15

Elmar Reinders (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets

Row 14 – Cell 2

16

Tuur Verbeeck (Bel) Lotto- Groupe Wanty

Row 15 – Cell 2

17

Pierre Thierry (Fra) Totalenergies

Row 16 – Cell 2

18

Robbe Claeys (Bel) Volkerwessels

Row 17 – Cell 2

19

Nolan Huysmans (Bel) Team Flanders- Baloise

Row 18 – Cell 2

20

Mathis Avondts (Bel) Parkhotel Valkenburg

Row 19 – Cell 2

21

Bert Bolle (Bel) Volkerwessels

Row 20 – Cell 2

22

Kristian Egholm (Den) Lidl-Trek Future Racing

Row 21 – Cell 2

23

Pepijn Reinderink (Ned) Soudal-QuickStep

Row 22 – Cell 2

24

Roan Konings (Ned) Metec- Solarwatt P/B Mantel

Row 23 – Cell 2

25

Sebastian Grindley (GBr) Lidl-Trek Future Racing

Row 24 – Cell 2

26

Lukáš Kubiš (Svk) Unibet Rose Rockets

Row 25 – Cell 2

27

Sente Sentjens (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech

Row 26 – Cell 2

28

Thor Verleysen (Bel) Volkerwessels

Row 27 – Cell 2

29

Jesse Kramer (Ned) Beat Cc P/B Saxo

Row 28 – Cell 2

30

Elmar Abma (Ned) Volkerwessels

Row 29 – Cell 2

31

Chiel Schulten (Ned) Eew-Vdk Cyclingteam

Row 30 – Cell 2

32

Victor Vercouillie (Bel) Team Flanders- Baloise

Row 31 – Cell 2

33

Wessel Mouris (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets

Row 32 – Cell 2

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Position

Rider (Country) Team

Time Gap

1

Jakob Söderqvist (Swe) Lidl-Trek

2:36:31

2

Wessel Mouris (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets

0:00:01

3

Christophe Laporte (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike

0:00:01

4

Ethan Edward Hayter (GBr) Soudal-QuickStep

0:00:02

5

Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal-QuickStep

0:00:02

6

Michiel Mouris (Ned) Red Bull- Bora- Hansgrohe Rookies

0:00:03

7

Finn Fisher-Black (NZl) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe

0:00:04

8

Casper Matyáš Kopecký (Cze) Unibet Rose Rockets

0:00:05

9

Pepijn Reinderink (Ned) Soudal-QuickStep

0:00:06

10

Edoardo Affini (Ita) Visma-Lease a Bike

0:00:06

11

Hartthijs De Vries (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets

0:00:07

12

Kristian Egholm (Den) Lidl-Trek Future Racing

0:00:07

13

Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike

0:00:07

14

Mick Van Dijke (Ned) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe

0:00:07

15

Sente Sentjens (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech

0:00:07

16

Rik Van Der Wal (Ned) Eew-Vdk Cyclingteam

0:00:07

17

Pierre Thierry (Fra) Totalenergies

0:00:08

18

Lukáš Kubiš (Svk) Unibet Rose Rockets

0:00:08

19

Sebastian Grindley (GBr) Lidl-Trek Future Racing

0:00:09

20

Elmar Abma (Ned) Volkerwessels

0:00:09

21

Pavel Bittner (Cze) Picnic PostNL

0:00:09

22

Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) Visma-Lease a Bike

0:00:10

23

Davide Donati (Ita) Red Bull- Bora- Hansgrohe Rookies

0:00:11

24

Julius Van Den Berg (Ned) Picnic PostNL

0:00:11

25

Rick Ottema (Ned) Eew-Vdk Cyclingteam

0:00:11

26

Milan Lanhove (Bel) Team Flanders- Baloise

0:00:11

27

Edward Theuns (Bel) Lidl-Trek

0:00:11

28

Ferre Geeraerts (Bel) Team Flanders- Baloise

0:00:11

29

Joeri Schaper (Ned) Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team

0:00:11

30

Bram Dissel (Ned) Beat Cc P/B Saxo

0:00:12

31

Tuur Verbeeck (Bel) Lotto- Groupe Wanty

0:00:12

32

Frank Van Den Broek (Ned) Picnic PostNL

0:00:12

33

Simon Goossens (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech Development Team

0:00:12

34

Danijel Agricola (Ned) Metec- Solarwatt P/B Mantel

0:00:13

35

Victor Vercouillie (Bel) Team Flanders- Baloise

0:00:13

36

Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech

0:00:13

37

Nolan Huysmans (Bel) Team Flanders- Baloise

0:00:13

38

Paul Conor (Fra) Vendee U Primeo Energie

0:00:13

39

Roel Van Sintmaartensdijk (Ned) Lotto-Intermarché

0:00:15

40

Julian Vergouw (Ned) Metec- Solarwatt P/B Mantel

0:00:15

41

Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Picnic PostNL

0:00:15

42

Thomas Monkelbaan (Ned) Eew-Vdk Cyclingteam

0:00:15

43

Florian Dauphin (Fra) Totalenergies

0:00:15

44

Roy Hoogendoorn (Ned) Metec- Solarwatt P/B Mantel

0:00:15

45

Finn Crockett (Irl) Volkerwessels

0:00:16

46

Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets

0:00:16

47

Chiel Schulten (Ned) Eew-Vdk Cyclingteam

0:00:16

48

Steffen De Schuyteneer (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché

0:00:17

49

Benedikt Benz (Ger) Lidl-Trek Future Racing

0:00:17

50

Jesse Kramer (Ned) Beat Cc P/B Saxo

0:00:17

51

Pietro Mattio (Ita) Visma-Lease a Bike

0:00:17

52

David Dekker (Ned) Beat Cc P/B Saxo

0:00:17

53

Bert Bolle (Bel) Volkerwessels

0:00:18

54

Menno Huising (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike

0:00:18

55

Mike Bronswijk (Ned) Eew-Vdk Cyclingteam

0:00:18

56

Jarne Van De Ven (Ned) Metec- Solarwatt P/B Mantel

0:00:18

57

Marijn Maas (Ned) Beat Cc P/B Saxo

0:00:18

58

Thor Verleysen (Bel) Volkerwessels

0:00:19

59

Johan Dorussen (Ned) Metec- Solarwatt P/B Mantel

0:00:19

60

Jochem Kerckhaert (Ned) Beat Cc P/B Saxo

0:00:19

61

Florian Senechal (Fra) Alpecin-Premier Tech

0:00:19

62

Max Kroonen (Ned) Beat Cc P/B Saxo

0:00:19

63

Alan Jousseaume (Fra) Totalenergies

0:00:19

64

Robbe Claeys (Bel) Volkerwessels

0:00:20

65

Siebe Roesems (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech Development Team

0:00:20

66

Luke Verburg (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg

0:00:21

67

Siebe Deweirdt (Bel) Team Flanders- Baloise

0:00:21

68

Steijn Oosterveld (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg

0:00:21

69

Nicola Marcerou (Fra) Totalenergies

0:00:21

70

Niek Voogt (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg

0:00:22

71

Mattanja Woets (Ned) Volkerwessels

0:00:23

72

Mathis Avondts (Bel) Parkhotel Valkenburg

0:00:23

73

Leander Van Hautegem (Bel) Team Flanders- Baloise

0:00:23

74

Hugo Paats (Ned) Eew-Vdk Cyclingteam

0:00:23

75

Otto Van Zanden (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg

0:00:24

76

Jonas Rutsch (Ger) Lotto-Intermarché

0:00:24

77

Elmar Reinders (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets

0:00:26

78

Stef Koning (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg

0:00:26

79

Roan Konings (Ned) Metec- Solarwatt P/B Mantel

0:00:29

80

Ceriel Desal (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team

0:00:40

81

Sebastian Putz (Aut) Red Bull- Bora- Hansgrohe Rookies

0:00:41

82

Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Soudal-QuickStep

0:00:43

83

Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Lotto-Intermarché

0:00:46

84

Gijs Schoonvelde (Ned) Red Bull- Bora- Hansgrohe Rookies

0:00:55

85

Tim Naberman (Ned) Picnic PostNL

0:01:00

86

Tars Poelvoorde (Bel) Lotto- Groupe Wanty

0:01:08

87

Milan De Ceuster (Bel) Development Team Picnic Postnl

0:01:41