03-Sep-2026: FixALL Quick-Step delivered a masterclass in teamwork on Stage 2 of the Tour of Britain, setting up Tim Merlier for his first victory in the race.
A large split formed in the peloton during the stage, with FixALL Quick-Step riders playing a key role in establishing and maintaining the gap. Together with other teams, the group was kept within striking distance, with the difference fluctuating around the 30-second to one-minute mark for a long period.
The team continued to control the race, with Ilan Van Wilder, Pascal Eenkhoorn, Jasper Stuyven and Laurenz Rex, as the finish approached, also responding perfectly when Florian Vermeersch made a late move inside the final 10 kilometres.
With the escape brought back, the focus turned to the sprint. Soudal Quick-Step kept Tim Merlier protected and perfectly positioned in the closing kilometres before Jasper Stuyven delivered a textbook lead-out. Merlier finished the job in style, taking the win and claiming his first-ever Tour of Britain stage victory.
“It was a complicated day with the echelons, but we all knew that was going to be the case from the start. And the whole team did a fantastic job executing that plan. The last 80 kilometres were very fast, but we stayed focused on keeping our group ahead and trying to get to the finish with as many riders as possible.
Then we heard that it was going to be a very fast run-in to the finish, so I tried to stay in a good position until the final 250 metres. I decided to take a gamble and launch my sprint from there. I felt I had a good acceleration, so I’m really happy to take the win, especially in our special Fix ALL Quick-Step jerseys.”
