The landscapes of the AlUla Tour(Image credit: Getty Images)
AlUla Tour race leader Tom Pidcock(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tim Merlier was fastest on stage 3 of the AlUla Tour(Image credit: Getty Images)
The AlUla Tour peloton (Image credit: Getty Images)
The AlUla Tour had some spectators(Image credit: Getty Images)
Stage 3 of the AlUla Tour saw a lot of echelon racing(Image credit: Getty Images)
Soudal-QuickStep celebrate another win at the AlUla Tour(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock in the AlUla Tour leader's green jersey(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) scored his second stage win in three days at the AlUla Tour, beating Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) in a two-man sprint battle on stage 3 at Tayma Fort.
Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) rounded out the podium in a distant third place.
The two sprinters were far ahead of the rest in the final of the 181km stage after Merlier launched the sprint early following a hectic run-in. Merlier was dropped on the front following a perfect lead-out from his Soudal-QuickStep train, including last man Bert Van Lerberghe.
After rounding the final sweeping left-hand corner, Merlier and Groenewegen rounded Van Lerberghe to hit the front, immediately shooting towards the line with little competition from behind. The pair sprinted from a reduced peloton after the group had split to pieces in the desert crosswinds.
The run to the line was marked by a nasty crash suffered by Nils Eekhoff (Picnic-PostNL), who touched the kerb and then collided hard with a lamppost as he tried to avoid other riders. Eekhoff was the only rider not to finish the stage and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
"The big battle was OK. We were still with a big bunch after the echelons, so it was OK," Merlier said after his win.
"The legs were really turning well today, and I was feeling well also. Just in the final it was a big hectic. The flash to the left was for the cars, not for us, so I thought at first, we took the wrong exit. In the end I was a bit surprised, but in the end, I won."
Race leader and stage 2 winner Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) was held up the final with a puncture coming just inside the 2km to go mark. He retains the green jersey overnight thanks to the 3km rule and leads Rainer Kepplinger (Bahrain Victorious) by eight seconds.
How it unfolded
Following the big GC day on stage 2, where Pidcock scored his first win for his new Q36.5 team, the sprinters were back in action on Thursday on a flat day from Hegra to Tayma Fort. A downhill run into the finishing town would ensure a fast run-in, while the ride though the desert ran the risk of high winds and echelons.
Jens Reynders (Wagner Bazin WB) was in the breakaway once again, joined in the seven-man move by Hugo Aznar (Kern Pharma), Javier Ibañez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Roojai Insurance duo Andreas Miltiadis and Kane Richards, and JCL Team UKYO pair Masaki Yamamoto and Yuma Koishi.
The group was given three minutes by the peloton, enough to keep them within reach ahead of the anticipated sprint finish, and a gap that was reduced by two-thirds by the 50km mark. The speed only went up from there as the wind whipped up, hitting 60-70kph at times as the breakaway was dragged back early.
By the 35km mark, the break was over as the sprint squads – including Jayco-AlUla, Soudal-QuickStep, and Tudor – pulled the peloton along. At that point, the main group split apart as the race route changed direction and it was hit by the crosswinds.
With enough firepower up front, it was a situation that would endure to the finish. Most of the big sprint and GC names were on the right side of the split, though the fourth man overall, Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla), was caught behind.
The run to the finish saw a variety of teams working at the front in order to secure the front group's advantage and set up the sprint. QuickStep and Jayco continued to work, while Picnic-PostNL and TotalEnergies were also involved.
In the end, a messy run to Tayma Fort ended with the best sprinters on paper at the head of the race on the dash to the line.
Groenewegen, fifth on the opening stage, found himself in a better position here, but once again it was Merlier's day as the European champion powered home to a 52nd career victory.
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur. They write and edit at Cyclingnews as well as running newsletter, social media, and how to watch campaigns.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, Road World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Demi Vollering, and Remco Evenepoel, and their favourite races are the Giro d'Italia, Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.
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