Danny van Poppel takes photo finish win at Rund um Koln 2023

Danny van Poppel sprinted to victory at Rund um Koln 2023 with the BORA - hansgrohe rider taking the win in a phot finish.

2700 meters of climbing makes it a tricky race to manage. Like Eschborn-Frankfurt, it's a race with a flat finale but a hilly course. This one features more ascents, however, with six hilltops in the final 75 kilometres to provide a launchpad for moves. The peloton will be reduced, and it won't be easy to balance things out into a sprint in Köln.

Maximilian Schachmann of BORA - hansgrohe made an immense effort as a solo rider holding off the breakaway but coming into the final 20km he had been joined by 4 further riders including his teammate Nils Politt.

With 10km to go that group had grown further with 10 riders around 50 seconds clear of a chasing group of 15.

In the finale it was an incredibly close sprint, only decided by a photo finish. Danny van Poppel was awarded the win ahead of the Lotto Dstny duo of Milan Menten and Jasper de Buyst.