"That Estonian from EF was completely crazy" - Pascal Ackermann on the danger of opening Giro d'Italia sprints
Cycling
Pascal Ackermann has not yet won in the jersey of Team Jayco AlUla, however at the 2026 Giro d'Italia he has not been absent from the opening bunch sprints. The German sprinter has now finished seventh on both opportunities during the Bulgarian Grande Partenza, but he is not happy with how one of his rivals has sprinted.
On stage 1 the 32-year old was one of the few riders who managed to escape the mass crash in the arrival to Burgas, and then sprinted to seventh place. Whilst on the second day the sprinters did not have much of a chance, the third stage saw them on the spotlight once again. Ackermann finished in the same position, although this time around none of the sprinters were hampered by a fall.
"I was super nervous because nothing happened today. It was a really wide road, but after a while I was in a great slipstream, Magnier's," Ackermann said in a post-race interview. The finale had a slight left-hand bend mid-sprint, which was not ideal for the riders' safety, however Ackermann had complaints over a rival.
That is Madis Mihkels, who ultimately rode to fourth on the day. "That Estonian from EF was completely crazy. He came into the corner and squeezed me into a corner; I'm glad I stayed on the bike," he described. Despite this, there was no mention of Mihkels on the race's jury report for the stage.
The real Giro d'Italia begins Tuesday
Ackermann has shown good form, but will need more opportunities to try and capitalize on it. In the past, he has won three times at the Corsa Rosa and even won the maglia ciclamino back in 2019. This time around however, that is a more difficult task.
"The sensations are getting better and better, but I don't like races where nothing happens and it's super easy, so I'm really looking forward to next week," he admits. "I hope to have some quiet days but also some big racing days, and I think I'll be there".
Stage 4 may already be a much different affair, with a 14-kilometer climb at 6% coming within the closing hours of the race, which may put a few sprinters into difficulty. Potentially, this could come to the benefit of Ackermann.
"I think everyone knows what's coming next week, and everyone knows the race will be controlled because there are a lot of sprinters. But I didn't expect anyone to get in the breakaway. I think next week the real racing and the Giro d'Italia will begin."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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