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Dani Ostanek

Tour de Hongrie: Tim Merlier delivers full throttle victory on opening stage

Tim Merlier Phil Bauhaus SoudalQuickStep Bert Juan Sebastian Molano Juan Sebastián Molano Rui Oliveira UAE XDSAstana JaycoAlUla
BEKESCSABA, HUNGARY - MAY 13: Tim Merlier of Belgium and Team Soudal Quick-Step celebrates at finish line as stage winner during the 47th Tour of Hungary 2026. Stage 1 a 143.1km stage from Gyula to Bekescsaba on May 13, 2026 in Bekescsaba, Hungary. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images).

Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) sprinted to victory in the opening stage of the Tour de Hongrie. He beat Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) to the line in Békéscsaba to the line in a bunch sprint finish to end the 143km stage.

Soudal-QuickStep, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and Jayco-AlUla led the way into the final of the flat opener shortly after the day's two-man break was caught, while XDS-Astana also worked on the front in the final kilometres before QuickStep and UAE went head-to-head at the finish.

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