Pascal Ackermann takes first win for IPT at Classique Dunkerque
The wait for Pascal Ackermann is finally over: nearly two years on from his last victory, the German sprinter raised his hands in celebration once again after winning the Classique Dunkerque in Lens on Tuesday.
Ackermann beat the likes of Biniam Girmay and Alberto Dainese to the line following a technical final kilometer in the Northern French city to finally convert his sprinting consistency into a victory.
He has recorded 11 top-5 finishes since joining IPT for the 2024 season, four of which came at last year’s Tour de France. However, luck repeatedly has not been on his side during that time, either: crashes at Classic Brugge-De Panne (2024) and the Tour de la Provence (2025) have impacted his spring campaigns in both seasons with the team.
“It was an amazing team performance today,” Ackermann says. “Yesterday I saw the startlist and I thought that I should be able to win today. Today the team rode so strongly from the front and I was like: ‘if the team is riding like this, I should be the strongest rider!’
“I felt super good on the climbs and the team gave me all the trust, especially after my injuries in the last few weeks and months. I’m super happy to finish it off.
“I didn’t win any races I the last two years. I had a lot of injuries, also in the last weeks, and some bad times. But this week started super nice – my brother and his wife have had two twins, so congratulations to them – and I think that was good motivation for me to restart my cycling life.”
