It’s going into the last few weeks of the cycling world tour. The fight for every ranking point is on – even in the otherwise rather small Münsterland Giro.
The Münsterland Giro is not actually one of those cycling races that are given a lot of attention on the international racing calendar. The round in northern NRW is too small – only category two in the UCI WorldTour rating. However, when the professionals are at the start on Monday (October 3rd, 2022), the “who’s who” of the sprinter scene will meet.
Focus on the WorldTour relegation battle
This is to blame for the high-class starting field new rating system of the UCI for the top tier of road cycling. Because the world cycling association has provided 18 secure starting places for the WorldTour and the associated most prestigious races. They are awarded to the top 18 teams over a three-year period. This ends in 2022 and two World Tour teams are currently threatened with relegation.
And so the teams threatened with relegation send their best drivers to supposedly small races like in Münster in order to score as many points as possible. Israel-PremTech, for example, relies on a very fast man in Rick Zabel, for Cofidis Max Walscheid – after all, the winner in 2018 – and Simon Geschke are also prominent German drivers at the start.
“I hope that I can add a second one after 2018,” Walscheid told Sportschau, which shows the race live from 1:45 p.m., the goal. The WDR will be on TV from 3:15 p.m.
Entire sprint elite at the start
Not only top German drivers can be admired: With the Australian Caleb Ewan, Lotto-Soudal even offers a sprinter of the absolute top class. The intention is clear: Ewan should win the race and thus win important points for Lotto-Soudal. Because the distribution of points also seems strange: there are 200 ranking list points for a win in the Münsterland Giro, but “only” 120 for a stage win in the Tour de France.
The start in tranquil Münster could be worthwhile – and not just for the relegation battle. With Fabio Jakobsen, Pascal Ackermann, Dylan Groenewegen and Sam Bennett, almost the entire world class sprinters are gathered on the Schlossplatz. “The race has developed in such a way in recent years that the teams bring their top sprinters here,” explained Sportschau cycling expert Fabian Wegmann. Everyone hopes for a prestige success on the flat course.
Created because of the Giro d’Italia
It is not surprising that the race has always been a good place for sprinters: the topography of the track is ideal for a mass sprint. This year the maximum height is 160 meters. The historic list of winners is already well-known: alongside John Degenkolb, sprinter legend Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel, André Greipel has also won. For him it was also the farewell race at the end of his career. “The jersey is very special and is still hanging here with me,” said the former professional cyclist.
It should come as no surprise that the race was founded by one of these fast-moving people: Mario Cipollini. In 2002, the Italian sprinter won the stage of the Tour of Italy, originally called the Giro d’Italia, from Groningen to Munster. The route had previously been tested two years ago with a cycle race – the idea for the Münsterland Giro was born. 20 years after brainstorming, the race returns after a two-year Corona break – and is more important than ever.
