Ackermann's breakthrough season continues apace in Tour de Pologne

Such has been the scale of his success, it's hard to believe that Pascal Ackermann's meteoric rise towards the top of the sprinting hierarchy only began this April. But in terms of wins, at least, that's when the Bora-Hansgrohe fast man's pro breakthrough actually started.

In late April, barely 15 months after turning professional, Ackermann took his first win in the last stage of the Tour de Romandie, since when he's netted stages of the Criterium du Dauphine, the German Nationals, the RideLondon-Surrey Classic and now the opening stage of the Tour de Pologne.

"I feel really strong in the head and the team stays 100 per cent behind me and do an amazing job always, they trust me and I trust them and that's the formula for victories," the 24-year-old said a few minutes after donning the yellow jersey of leader of the Tour de Pologne.

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In a sense, it was possible to see this breakthrough coming. A silver medallist in the U23 World Championship Road Race in Doha, Ackermann had a quiet first season at WorldTour level in 2017, with a fifth place in Scheldeprijs and only one top three stage placing, in the Tour de Guangxi to his name.

But the spring of 2018 was a very different story as Ackermann claimed two top-three positions in the Abu Dhabi Tour, a third in the Handzame Classic, second in the Driedaagse De Panne and second in Schelderprijs. The wins were still beyond him, it seemed, but the gaps were quickly narrowing.

Then from Romandie onwards, it has been a very different story for the German, with four victories at WorldTour level to his name since last April, continuing through to the RideLondon-Surrey Classic, and with the latest in Pologne on Saturday.

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