"Sprinting is only a second job" for Van Poppel, Ackermann "took off a bit too early" in Paris-Nice bunch sprint

We hadn't really seen him for a few days, but there he was at last: Pascal Ackermann, the German sprinter of Israel-Premier Tech. In the fifth stage of Paris-Nice - won by Olav Kooij - he finished an impressive third. And he was quite satisfied with that in the flash interview.

"It was an incredibly tough stage," opens the 30-year-old German. "The breakaway was large and strong, which made the chase difficult. The last kilometers were very hectic. After the final climb, ten kilometers from the finish, many riders started attacking. That made everyone nervous."

Ackermann only now rode his first real sprint of the year

"In the sprint, I was happy that I managed to find Mads (Pedersen, ed.)'s wheel," continues the strong man from Kandel. "Unfortunately, I didn't have the legs to pass him and Olav. Maybe it was also because I took off a bit too early and should have waited a bit longer. It was actually my first real sprint of the year, so I can't complain about the result."

According to Ackermann, there were many favorites for the day's victory. This meant that Israel-Premier Tech didn't need to get too involved in the chase debates. "That was nice, although the ride was still super tough. Especially in the final three kilometers, it went extremely fast. I am happy with the result."

Continue reading below the video.

Danny van Poppel (5th): "Sprinting is normally my second job"

Danny van Poppel finished two places behind Ackermann, but still impressively sprinted to fifth place. Not an easy feat for the 30-year-old Dutchman, who in Paris-Nice is not serving as a lead-out but is getting his own chance in a climber-focused team around Primoz Roglic. "Sprinting is normally my second job," Van Poppel explained afterwards. "I know I'm fast, especially if it's a bit uphill or after a tough race. It was a nice day with lots of sun, but I'm afraid it might have been the last sunny day."

"I was originally a bit too far back and had to make my way forward. In doing so, I had already spent some energy and used my experience to position myself at the front, then followed the other teams' lead-outs. So, blending into the sprint on my own isn't that difficult for me."