Soudal-QuickStep's sprint star Tim Merlier is targeting a third sprint victory in Nevers after surviving an arduous stage 10 through the Massif Central on Tuesday and waking up in Vichy this morning to rain and cooler temperatures.
The Belgian has already triumphed in bunch sprints in Bordeaux and Bergerac this Tour de France. However, he'll have to beat stage 5 winner Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) as well as green jersey wearer Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and points contenders Biniam Girmay (NSN) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech).
Pedersen leads the race for green with a total of 228 points, but with 70 points awarded to today's stage winner, Merlier could move very close to the Dane if he can sprint to victory for a third time.
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"Jamais deux sans trois [Things come in threes]. I hope so," Merlier said as he signed on in Vichy under the rain.
"We're motivated to win again. I hope to land a third win for the team. The weather certainly motivates me."
Merlier told Sporza that he expects a "super nervous finale" in Nevers to conclude the 161.3km stage. "Positioning will be important again. It will be super fast in the last kilometre," he said.
Merlier was one of the first sprinters to be dropped during a bruising stage 10, and so was unable to contest the intermediate sprint, won by Pedersen. He never panicked, though, and several teammates dropped back to ensure he finished in the grupetto, 41:41 down on Tadej Pogačar but inside the 45:15 time limit.
"I dropped back to get some water, but they set up a barrage, and then I was in a losing position," Merlier explained to Sporza.
"Luckily, my teammates were there to help me; otherwise I probably would have finished outside the time limit. We just rode at our own pace and never went over the limit. The others must have suffered too, right?"
Merlier symbolically brushed the pressure off his shoulders when he won in Bordeaux, but the pressure is on his rival Jasper Philipsen after he struggled in the sprints despite a leadout from Mathieu van der Poel.
Alpecin are hoping their fastman will come good in the second week of racing, with sprint opportunities expected in Nevers and again on Thursday in Chalon-sur-Saone.
"I got through the rest day well, and the feeling is that I'm on an upward spiral," Philipsen told Het Laatste Nieuws in Vichy.
"I am happy with this weather. I think that is good for everyone in the peloton. It will be a matter of the right timing. My ambitions for the green jersey depend on today and tomorrow."
Before the start, Pedersen admitted he and Lidl-Trek would be happy if a breakaway made it to the finish to stop the sprinters scoring maximum points in the green jersey competition.
"If the break makes it to the finish, that's perfect for us, that's at least 70 points gone," Pedersen told Eurosport.
"Is there a possibility of me getting 70 points? Yes, but I think it's nicer if the break takes it instead of us."
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