Koksijde (dpa) – professional cyclist Pascal Ackermann has ended his dry spell with his new team UAE Emirates and has achieved his first win of the season.
The 28-year-old from Palatinate won the Belgian one-day race Bredene Koksijde Classic and thus sprinted across the finish line in first place for the first time this season. After 201 kilometers, Ackermann prevailed over Frenchman Hugo Hofstetter and Belgian Tim Merlier.
“I think my mistake was that I always waited too long in the sprints. Today I decided to start early again like I’ve done in previous years and it worked. I’m very happy.” , Ackermann commented on his victory afterwards. The two-time Giro and Vuelta stage winner switched from the German Bora-hansgrohe racing team to the team around tour winner Tadej Pogacar at the beginning of the season. Until his win in Koksijde, third place on the UAE Tour was Ackermann’s best finish of the season.