Three days after coming out on top at Textielprijs Vichte, the young German emerged victorious at Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen.
What a way to kick off your pro career! Jannik Steimle, who is spending the last weeks of the season as a stagiaire before joining the team on a two-year contract that he inked earlier this week, doesn’t miss any opportunity to showcase his talent, and as such, he is off to an amazing start as part of the most successful squad of the past decade.
His most recent feat came Friday afternoon, when Jannik darted clear in the closing kilometers of an attritional Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (186km), carved out a small advantage over a fragmented bunch and carried it all the way to the line, battling the strong winds as the chasers were launching one desperate attack after another in order to bring him back.
Up until that point, the race was controlled by Deceuninck – Quick-Step, who kept the three-man breakaway on a tight leash before ruthlessly destroying the peloton in savage crosswinds which reduced the pack down to 40 riders. Our team’s strong grip discouraged attacks until inside 15 kilometers to go, when gusting winds split again the main group, leaving some 25 riders at the front. Pieter Serry was on duty for the Wolfpack, expertly shutting down attacks and keeping things together for Dutch Champion Fabio Jakobsen, one of the squad’s riders to have made the cut.
But it was another Deceuninck – Quick-Step member, Jannik Steimle, who ignited a move which turned out to be decisive on the long and exposed roads of Koolskamp, where the race traditionally starts and finishes. Even though his advantage was minimal, the 23-year-old managed to remain at the front, displaying remarkable physical and mental strength as he charged to his first UCI victory in the Deceuninck – Quick-Step jersey, which on the podium he exchanged for the famous Lion of Flanders yellow jersey that rewards the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen winner.
“I can tell you it has been an incredible week for me, and it’s quite difficult to understand what’s been happening over the past few days. But what I can tell you is that winning for this amazing team, while my family and friends followed me on the TV today, gives me an incredible feeling”, an overjoyed Jannik said after seizing again the moment, just as he did at Textielprijs Vichte, on Tuesday.
“Maybe on paper we didn’t have the strongest team today, but mentally we are the strongest. The plan was to save energy, so we could go full gas in the final laps, so I worked together with the guys to protect Fabio and keep him out of the wind. Then we split the bunch in the crosswinds, and with seven kilometers to go I attacked and put some 20-30 meters between me and the group. Once I entered the final kilometer, I did a long sprint to the finish and it was really crazy to think what I would achieve. A big thanks to the team for this opportunity and for believing in me”, explained the third German rider in history to win the Belgian race.
Photo credit: ©Vdbfoto.be
