For the first time, the Münsterland Giro started in Borken. From there, the peloton faced more than 190 kilometers through the Münsterland, with a relatively flat opening section followed by a more challenging passage through the Baumberge. A breakaway formed early in the race. However, the peloton kept the escapees within reach and, as the race progressed, their advantage continued to decrease. In the end, the race came down to a bunch sprint, with Olav Kooij proving to be the fastest man.

“I saw a very strong team today,” says sports director Robert Wagner after the race. Team Visma | Lease a Bike started with Matthew Brennan and Fabio Jakobsen as the two fast men. “We had a plan and executed it perfectly. We were basically always in control. The agreement was that we would go for Fabio if he was feeling good, and that was the case. Matthew also tried something in the hilly section, but the course wasn’t hard enough for him,” Wagner explains.

In the hectic finale, the team tried to keep its fast men out of trouble as much as possible. For Fabio Jakobsen, it was a special moment: following his move to Team Visma | Lease a Bike, he made his official debut with the WorldTour team today. “I felt pretty good. I was happy that I was able to stay well positioned in the group and that I got the chance to try it in the sprint. The guys helped me really well throughout the whole day,” Jakobsen says afterwards.

“I was perhaps still a little too far back in the sprint, but I think I took a step in the right direction. It may not be quite the result you want when you’re in that position, but for now, this was the maximum. I mainly want to use these races to take some steps forward again, so I’m definitely satisfied. This is the best race I’ve ridden in two years, so I’m looking positively ahead,” Jakobsen concludes.

Sports director Robert Wagner also heads home with a positive feeling: “We really gave it our all, but unfortunately Fabio got completely boxed in. What matters most to me now is that he was back in the finale after 200 kilometers. He has come from far, so I’m definitely happy that he was there,” the German concludes.