Tim Merlier is expected to step up, win big again in 2026, and help fill the gap left by Remco Evenepoel's transfer away from Soudal-QuickStep. However, the Belgian sprinter's winter has been disrupted by a knee injury, which has delayed his season debut.
Merlier won 16 races in 2025, racing between late January and mid-October but his knee problem means he will miss this year's AlUla Tour despite being announced by race organisers. The Saudi race is scheduled for January 27-31 and offers several sprint opportunities. Merlier was expected to clash with Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) for the first time in 2026, but that clash has now been delayed.
Soudal-QuickStep hope Merlier will be fit enough to make his return at the UAE Tour in mid-February but that depends on his knee and his training.
"The AlUla Tour is definitely out of the question," Merlier revealed to the Flemish media during the Soudal-QuickStep media day in Calpe, Spain.
"We'll see how things develop. If I feel good and the coaches agree, we'll set a date for me to return but it's too early to say anything about that now. I hope to be at my best in the Classics, so Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne but I won't ride Omloop [Het Nieuwsblad]. We'll see how things develop."
Cyclingnews saw Merlier roll out with his teammates for the short training ride and photo shoot on Thursday but he has been struggling to train at the same level as his teammates after spending several weeks off the bike in December. He is now virtually pain-free but does not know the cause of his problems.
"I can't say what exactly the problem was. I don't know myself, and the doctors don't know. It went away on its own with rest," he said.
"We don't know how it specifically started, only that it started shortly after the Boonen & Friends charity cyclo-cross race on November 29th. But I'm not going to blame it on that because I've always ridden cyclo-cross in winter.
"I had to rest after that. I got going again but I was kind of struggling. At one point, I had problems with both knees but I think that was more of an overcompensation and it didn't last long. I'm naturally not at my best yet, so it's not that easy to compete against guys who are ready to race."
Merlier said he is currently pain-free but not yet 100 per cent. He missed a block of important December training but he remains optimistic for the 2026 season. He will again target the more sprinter-friendly Classics such as Gent-Wevelgem and Scheldeprijs before chasing more sprint wins at the Tour de France.
"Mentally, it was difficult at one point but if it evolves the way it is now, I can live with it perfectly. And then in a few weeks, I won't be worrying about it anymore," Merlier said.
