Pascal Ackermann: "I’m so happy with this win"

Pascal Ackermann hasn't taken a win at World Tour level since the 2020 Vuelta a España and struggled to be in contention for the win last year in the big sprints. Although not the highest level, today the German took his biggest win since that race by winning the Bredene Koksijde Classic.

“I’m so happy with this win. My shape has been really good the last few weeks but just something was missing to take a big result , I think I was just waiting a bit too long to open the sprints so today I said I would go long and it worked out really well. I have good memories from this race – I won it a few years ago. It’s been a hard few weeks racing but I’m looking forward to my next race next week in De Panne," Ackermann said in a post-race interview.

After being in the peloton throughout the day, Ackermann was in the perfect place in the final sprint which eventually decided the race. He was one of the first riders to launch the sprint and had the speed to keep the lead until the line, holding off Hugo Hofstetter and Tim Merlier.

"My shape is as good as it’s ever been so I’m looking for more big results with the team .We are one team, so I try and give everything for them and then today I got it all back with the victory. All I can say is thank you for my teammates," he concluded.

Ackermann is now set to ride the De Panne classic, Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen, the sprinter-friendly cobbled classics like today's. With some motivation and confidence back, it is possible that the German will be in contention more often this spring.