Biggest success of his career: Steimle wins "little sister of Paris-Roubaix"

The change of team has already paid off. In the winter, Jannik Steimle left Quick Step for Q36.5 Pro Cycling after four and a half years, consciously accepting the step down a league from the World Tour. His goal: to finally ride on his own account. This has already paid off. The 27-year-old from Weilheim an der Teck has won the GP de Denain (1.Pro) - the "little sister of Paris-Roubaix".

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Steimle won the sprint out of a group of two against Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB). The Belgian could only look behind as Steimle started the final sprint from his rear wheel and immediately opened up a gap. Eleven seconds behind him, the first chasers entered the peloton. Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies) finished third ahead of Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny).

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At the 65th edition of the race through northern France, Steimle was part of the group of the day that formed after 20 of the 196 kilometres. "I didn't actually expect to be in the group," said Steimle in the winner's interview. "But then suddenly I was there and felt pretty good. That's why I thought I had to go for it."

Steimle was the last of the five riders to join the group. None of them belonged to a World Tour team, which certainly contributed to the quintet being given a maximum lead of almost seven minutes. Although the lead gradually shrank, the peloton only really woke up around 60 kilometres before the end. By then, half of the twelve cobbled sectors, some of which are also part of the Paris-Roubaix programme, had already been completed.

Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) had launched an attack in the peloton, which was followed by De Lie and Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates), among others. An eight-man chase group formed, while the leading group slowly thinned out and eventually only Steimle and Desal remained.

Jannik Steimle: "Only three months until my first victory"

"In the end, it was particularly important to stay on the bike on the wet cobbles," said Steimle. He was presumably alluding to the chasers' crash. Because Küng, who led the chasers into the last cobbled sector, did not succeed. He cleared the entire group - and with it their chance to compete for victory.

For Steimle, the success was the seventh in his professional career. He last won a stage of the Tour of Slovakia in 2021 and the entire race the year before. "I was with Quick Step for four years, primarily as an assistant. I changed teams to get my own opportunities. It only took me three months to get my first win. That gives me a lot of motivation."

Steimle also said that he had not been satisfied with his form so far this season. His results certainly bear this out. He finished 107th in the Omloop het Nieuwsblad (1st UWT) and one place lower in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (1st Pro). "But my girlfriend and my family were always behind me. That helped me."

Max Walscheid and Marcel Wüst previous German winners

The next race on Steimle's schedule is the E3 Prize on 22 March, followed by the Tour of Flanders five days later. It is quite possible that a few more classics will be added after his ride in northern France. His team at least has wildcards for the most important races, including Paris-Roubaix.

Jannik Steimle is only the third German winner of the GP de Denain. Two years ago, Max Walscheid triumphed in the small French town, followed by Marcel Wüst in 1993. Steimle's success is also only the second German to win at UCI level this season. To date, only Phil Bauhaus on stage 3 of Tirreno-Adriatico can cheer.

GP de Denain 2024 - Results: The top 10

1. Jannik Steimle (Q36.5 ProCycling Team) 4:40:31
2. Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB) +0:00
3. Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies) +0:11
4. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) +0:11
5. Hugo Page (Intermarche-Wanty) +0:11
6. Maxime Jarnet (Van Rysel - Roubaix) +0:13
7. Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Dstny) +0:15
8. Aime De Gendt (Cofidis) +1:06
9. Simon Dehairs (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +1:09
10. Amaury Capiot (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +1:09