Tim Merlier At The Double At AlUla Tour 2025

Tim Merlier At The Double At AlUla Tour 2025

Tim Merlier wins Stage 3 of the AlUla Tour, securing his second victory and leading the sprint points, while Tom Pidcock retains the overall lead.

Jan 31, 2025 by AFP Report
Pidcock Puncture, Crashes: AlUla Tour 2025

Tim Merlier of Quick-Step won stage three of Saudi Arabia's Al-Ula Tour on Thursday.

After also winning stage one, Merlier tops the sprint points red jersey rankings with two stages to go.

Tom Pidcock Maintains Overall Lead

Britain's Tom Pidcock remains atop the general rankings after winning Wednesday's second stage, where he dropped his rivals impressively on the Bir Jaydah mountain.

Pidcock, a double Olympic mountain bike champion, switched from Ineos this season to join ambitious Swiss outfit Q36.5.

Tim Merlier Dominates The Sprint

On Thursday's flat run, Belgian sprinter Merlier dominated the final sprint and picked up ten bonus seconds for the win after a run through the desert marked by echelons, where the riders align in diagonal formation to avoid strong crosswinds.

Jayco Al-Ula's Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen finished second, with Colombian UAE rider Juan Sebastian Molano taking third at the Tayma Fort finish line after a 180.6km run from Hegra.