Merlier takes UAE Tour opener in photo finish
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Merlier takes UAE Tour opener in photo finish
Paris (AFP) – Soudal-Quickstep's Belgian rider Tim Merlier won the first stage of the UAE Tour on Monday pipping Lotto Dstny's Caleb Ewan in a sprint finish.
The two riders finished shoulder to shoulder prompting a 10-minute delay as the race organisers pored over the photo finish in a bid to split them.
They opted against calling it a dead heat and gave Merlier, 30, the win by the slimmest of margins.
“I was not sure,” Merlier said afterwards.
“I know I did a good jump in the end, and I knew when I started my sprint that it was a good sprint.
