"Frankly, I expect the break to make it" - Pascal Ackerman believes chances of second stage win of 2023 Giro d'Italia are slim

Pascal Ackerman took the win from a bunch sprint on stage 11 of the 2023 Giro d'Italia. With stage 17 almost pan-flat the chances of another sprint opportunity is high. Ackerman though is doubtful.

"I hope it will turn out to be a sprint, but I actually expect a break to make it to the finish," said Ackermann prior to the start of the seventeenth stage of this year's edition of the Giro d'Italia. “Our team has a classification rider, so we are not going to chase. It's a fifty-fifty stage. If other teams want to chase, I can and will compete in the sprint. Otherwise, I have to wait for the final stage to Rome.”

Alongside Ackerman's victory on stage 11, UAE Team Emirates have also tasted success with Brandon McNulty and most recently with Joao Almeida on yesterday's stage 16. With Almeida now firmly entrenched in the Maglia Rosa battle after a brilliant mountain top victory.

The final climb was a completely different story for Ackerman however in the grupetto as the sprinter battled to his way up the mountain. Not as bad as it could have been however. “I was able to ride up the last climb yesterday. I'm actually quite surprised with how good my legs felt on the climbs. I still have some power left.”