Tour de France stage winner Nils Politt has won the 105th edition of the traditional race around Cologne. The native of Cologne won after 199.3 kilometers alone ahead of his Dutch teammate Danny van Poppel.
Another German, Nikias Arndt, finished third on the podium. The Rhenish classic was held again for the first time after a two-year Corona break.
“It’s just something nice to win at home. It was always a dream. Now I’ve ticked it off. I’m happy to win the new edition,” said Politt, who celebrated his first win of the season.
At the finish, the 28-year-old had a 13-second lead over van Poppel. The big sprinters with Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands), Sam Bennett (Ireland) and Jasper Philipsen (Belgium) were left behind in places four to six.