For 32-year-old Merlier, it is his 58th professional victory, his eighth this season. Earlier this season, the Belgian Sprinter won the Schelded prize, among other things, two rides in Paris-Nice, the UAE Tour and the Alula Tour. Merlier already triumphed in the Brussels Cycling Classic in 2020.
Lionel Taminiaux, Theodor August Clemmenssen, Alessandro Iacchi, Baptiste Vadic, Petr Kelemen, Jelle Johannink, Tom Portsmouth and Cyril Barthe took care of the traditional long flight. Barthe had to finish with mechanical defect at 105 kilometers in the front, but the Frenchman was able to join the leading group again before cutting the second climb of the wall of Geraardsbergen. At the top of the wall, the peloton rode 2:30 of the eight refugees.
In the large group it was nervous with a stroke for Slinger attack attempts. A group with 9 riders went into the counterattack and 15 leaders set the third and last time the wall of Geraardsbergen. Jonas Abrahamsen, Edward Planckaert and Tim van Dijke tore away from their companions. After the passage of the Congoberg, the three half a minute before the peloton, which gradually reformed. At the climb of the IJzlekruiswegstraat, Cedric Beullens rode on his own to the leading group and the peloton also joined the finish 10 kilometers from the finish. Eddy Le Huitouze tried it just like Jonas Geens, but it turned out to be on a group sprint. Merlier clearly turned out to be the fastest of the suit.
Merlier is the successor of Jonas Abrahamsen on the honors list. The Norwegian hard rider was just ahead of a sprinting peloton last year. For Soudal Quick-Step it is also the second victory in the same number of days, after the victory of the Frenchman Paul Magnier in the Heist arrow.