Tim Merlier became Belgian road champion on Sunday. The 29-year-old Alpecin-Fenix rider was the strongest in a bunch sprint. Peter Sagan extended his title in Slovakia and top talent Carlos Rodríguez soloed to the win in Spain.
Merlier kept 208.7 kilometers to and from Middelkerke Jordi Meeus (second) just behind in the bunch sprint. His teammate Jasper Philipsen was third.
In the final Remco Evenepoel tried to break away from a leading group, but he did not succeed in his plan. At 4 kilometers from the finish, the refugees were caught, after which Merlier was the strongest in the bunch sprint.
For Merlier it is his second national title on the road. Three years ago he became Belgian champion for the first time in Ghent.
Defending champion Wout van Aert skipped the Belgian championship with a view to the Tour de France as a precaution. The Jumbo-Visma rider hit the handlebars with his knee during a training session last weekend and suffered from it for a number of days. The damage is not too bad, but he is still forced to take it easy.
Overview national champions abroad
- Belgium: Tim Merlier
- Germany: Nils Politt
- France: Florian Senechal
- Italy: Filippo Zana
- Spain: Carlos Rodriguez
- Eritrea: Merhawi Kudus
- Japan: Yukiya Arashiro
- Austria: Felix Grossschartner
- Portugal: Joao Almeida
- Slovakia: Peter Sagan
Sagan recovered from corona extends title
Sagan won the national title in Slovakia for the eighth time. The three-time world champion downgraded the competition. Lukás Kubis was second at 1 minute and 42 seconds. Sagan has therefore recovered from his corona infection, with which he left the Tour of Switzerland a week ago.
In Spain, Rodríguez took home the national title. The 21-year-old INEOS Grenadiers rider broke away from a small leading group in Mallorca in the final and crossed the finish line solo.
Rodríguez was 51 seconds ahead of Jesús Herrada (second) and Alex Aranburu (third). He succeeds Omar Fraile as Spanish champion.
Filippo Zana caused a surprise in Italy. The 23-year-old rider of Bardiana-CSF-Faizanè trumped Lorenzo Rota (second) and Samuele Battistella (third) in the sprint of a leading group.
For the app users: tap the tweet to see the remarkable finish of the Eritrean Championship.
Tesfatsion grants Kudus victory in Eritrea
The championship in Eritrea had a remarkable conclusion. Merhawi Kudus took the win, because his flight mate Natnael Tesfatsion decided not to sprint and to award Kudus the title.
For Biniam Girmay there was no double after his victory in the national time trial. The winner of Gent-Wevelgem did everything he could to get Kudus and Tesfatsion back, but was no longer involved in the last round.
In France there was success for Florian Sénéchal. The 28-year-old Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider was ahead of Anthony Turgis (second) and Axel Zingle (third) in the sprint of a leading group of five riders.
Nils Politt triumphed in Germany. He soloed to the win, after he had ridden away from his flight mate Nikias Arndt in the final. Defending champion Maximilian Schachmann was missing due to a corona infection.