Tim Merlier has won stage two of the Tour of Britain Men‘s race with a commanding sprint to the finish in Skegness, at the end of brutal wind-whipped 181.1km day.
The Soudal Quick-Step rider took the victory, beating Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Sam Bennett (Pinarello Q36.5) into second and third place respectively.
British rider and stage-one victor Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling) remains in the lead in the general classification, after one of his main GC rivals Filippo Ganna (Netcompany Ineos) had a mechanical at a critical moment
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It was a day that saw the peloton pushed and pulled around by cruel crosswinds blowing across the fens, with the challenging conditions putting an end to an early breakaway.
The stage was effectively derailed for Netcompany Ineos when Ganna, who finished yesterday’s stage just 9 seconds behind Askey, suffered a puncture with 60km to go, as a lead group of around 30 riders made a break.
Despite his Netcompany Ineos teammates falling back to help, the Italian could not catch the front group before crosswinds changed to a tailwind, putting him out of contention. Ganna has now dropped to 10th in the GC.
With just over 7km to go, Florian Vermeersch, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG – who do not have a sprinter in their ranks at this year’s Tour of Britain – made a solo break and managed to open up a small lead. However, for the second day in a row the young Belgian was caught.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
It was a relatively straight run-in to the finish opposite the famous pier in Skegness, with just one left-hand corner to negotiate with 500 metres to go, and it was immediately after this bend that Merlier made his move.
The 33-year-old Belgian sprinter, who took three stage wins at the recent Tour de France but is making his Tour of Britain debut this year, won by over two bike lengths, with Kooij conceding quite early, possibly hampering Irishman Bennett’s finish.
“I got the feeling I was all the time boxed in, but we also know we have a little slipstream,” said Merlier in the post-race interview.
“With 250 [metres] to go I decided to launch my sprint, and I think it was a good moment – it surprised a bit everybody… With the wind here, in the space of a second, something can happen.”
Not only does Lewis Askey keep a firm grip on the green jersey, he also now tops the points classification. Meanwhile, Michal Schuran (United Shipping) remains the king of the mountains and 20-year-old Scotsman Elliot Rowe from Visma–Lease a Bike Development continental team leads the young rider classification.
Tour of Britain Men 2026, stage 2: Boston > Skegness, 181.1km
1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, in 3:53:55
2. Olav Kooij (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM
3. Sam Bennett (Ire) Pinarello Q36.5
4. Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Pinarello Q36.5
5. Ethan Vernon (Gbr) NSN
6. Riley Pickrell (Can) Modern Adventure Pro Cycling
7. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling
8. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling
9. Jake Stewart (Gbr) NSN
10. Brody McDonald (USA) Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, at s.t.
General Classification after stage 2
1. Lewis Askey (Gbr) NSN Cycling, in 7:56:25
2. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +12s
3. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, +19s
4. Daan Hoole (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM, +21s
5. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +21s
6. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +25s
7. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling, +33s
8. Elliot Rowe (Gbr) Great Britain, +33s
9. Paul Wright (NZ) Modern Adventure Pro Cycling +40s
10. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos +1:53
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