Sam Bennett wins Sparkassen Munsterland Giro

Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) won the Sparkassen Munsterland Giro on Tuesday in a dramatic and agonisingly close four-way photo finish.

Barely a hair separated Bennett, Phil Bauhaus (Sunweb), Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal), and Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) as they hit the line in Münster, with Bennett managing to throw his bike and nudge his wheel across the tape by the narrowest of margins. Bauhaus was given second place, and Greipel third, while Kittel missed out on the podium places. 

Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) finished fifth but in the slipstream of the others, who crossed the line four abreast. 

The German race was always likely to culminate in a bunch sprint, with only the most minor of hills on the 198km route. The peloton would make its way north before embarking on three laps of a 5km finishing circuit in Münster. 

A four-man breakaway went clear in the early stages, containing Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin), Luca Henn (Lotto-Kern Haus), Etienne Van Empel (Roompot), and Carl Soballa (LKT-Brandenburg). They opened up a maximum advantage of three minutes but there was never any pressure on the peloton. 

The gap came down to below a minute with just over 30km remaining, whereupon Martin and Soballa waved goodbye to their other two companions and tried to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. The game was up, and the race all together again, with just under 20km to go and the local laps about to begin. 

From there it was all about the build-up to the sprint, with no shortage of top-quality names, and Bennett pinched it to claim his sixth victory of the season. 

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora - Hansgrohe4:35:26
2Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Team SunwebRow 1 - Cell 2
3André Greipel (Ger) Lotto SoudalRow 2 - Cell 2
4Marcel Kittel (Ger) Quick - Step FloorsRow 3 - Cell 2
5Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Lotto Nl - JumboRow 4 - Cell 2
6Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) Bora - HansgroheRow 5 - Cell 2
7Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha AlpecinRow 6 - Cell 2
8Roy Jans (Bel) Wb Veranclassic Aquality ProtectRow 7 - Cell 2
9Andre Looij (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse LoterijRow 8 - Cell 2
10Nicola Toffali (Ita) 0711 / CyclingRow 9 - Cell 2
11Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 10 - Cell 2
12Jonas Koch (Ger) Ccc Sprandi PolkowiceRow 11 - Cell 2
13Alexander Porsev (Rus) Gazprom - RusveloRow 12 - Cell 2
14Jimmy Duquennoy (Bel) Wb Veranclassic Aquality ProtectRow 13 - Cell 2
15Robert William Kessler (Ger) Lkt Team BrandenburgRow 14 - Cell 2
16Patrick Haller (Ger) Rad-Net Rose TeamRow 15 - Cell 2
17Nils Politt (Ger) Team Katusha AlpecinRow 16 - Cell 2
18Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 17 - Cell 2
19Joshua Huppertz (Ger) Team Lotto - Kern HausRow 18 - Cell 2
20Manuel Porzner (Ger) Team HeizomatRow 19 - Cell 2
21Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team SunwebRow 20 - Cell 2
22Konrad Geßner (Ger) Rad-Net Rose TeamRow 21 - Cell 2
23Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 22 - Cell 2
24Remy Mertz (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 23 - Cell 2
25Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick - Step FloorsRow 24 - Cell 2
26Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 25 - Cell 2
27Sven Thurau (Ger) Team Dauner D&Dq AkkonRow 26 - Cell 2
28Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Dimension DataRow 27 - Cell 2
29Senne Leysen (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 28 - Cell 2
30Jarl Salomein (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 29 - Cell 2
31Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Dimension DataRow 30 - Cell 2
32Christian Maximilian Koch (Ger) Lkt Team BrandenburgRow 31 - Cell 2
33Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse LoterijRow 32 - Cell 2
34Jack Bauer (NZl) Quick - Step FloorsRow 33 - Cell 2
35Roy Curvers (Ned) Team SunwebRow 34 - Cell 2
36Christophe Masson (Fra) Wb Veranclassic Aquality ProtectRow 35 - Cell 2
37Tim Ariesen (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse LoterijRow 36 - Cell 2
38Scott Thwaites (GBr) Team Dimension DataRow 37 - Cell 2
39Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team Lotto Nl - Jumbo0:00:08
40Rick Zabel (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin0:00:11
41Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora - HansgroheRow 40 - Cell 2
42Paul Martens (Ger) Team Lotto Nl - Jumbo0:00:13
43Robert Thomas Wagner (Ger) Team Lotto Nl - JumboRow 42 - Cell 2
44Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo NordiskRow 43 - Cell 2
45Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Team Katusha AlpecinRow 44 - Cell 2
46Silvio Herklotz (Ger) Bora - HansgroheRow 45 - Cell 2
47Lars Bak Ytting (Den) Lotto SoudalRow 46 - Cell 2
48Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Team Dimension DataRow 47 - Cell 2
49Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora - Hansgrohe0:00:24
50Julien Vermote (Bel) Quick - Step FloorsRow 49 - Cell 2
51Aaron Grosser (Ger) Team Sauerland Nrw P/B Henley & Partners0:00:38
52Nathan Müller (Ger) Team HeizomatRow 51 - Cell 2
53Thomas Gibbons (USA) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 52 - Cell 2
54Florian Obersteiner (Ger) Rad-Net Rose TeamRow 53 - Cell 2
55Awet Habtom Tekle (Eri) Bike AidRow 54 - Cell 2
56Lorenz Fiege (Ger) Team Dauner D&Dq AkkonRow 55 - Cell 2
57Igor Boev (Rus) Gazprom - RusveloRow 56 - Cell 2
58Arnold Fiek (Ger) 0711 / CyclingRow 57 - Cell 2
59Robert Retschke (Ger) Team Lotto - Kern HausRow 58 - Cell 2
60Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Gazprom - RusveloRow 59 - Cell 2
61Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora - HansgroheRow 60 - Cell 2
62Marc Dörrie (Ger) Team Lotto - Kern HausRow 61 - Cell 2
63Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team SunwebRow 62 - Cell 2
64Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 63 - Cell 2
65Stijn Steels (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 64 - Cell 2
66Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse LoterijRow 65 - Cell 2
67Julien Stassen (Bel) Wb Veranclassic Aquality ProtectRow 66 - Cell 2
68Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk0:00:43
69Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Team Dimension DataRow 68 - Cell 2
70Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 69 - Cell 2
71Brecht Dhaene (Bel) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 70 - Cell 2
72Joschka Beck (Ger) Bike AidRow 71 - Cell 2
73Felix Intra (Ger) Team Sauerland Nrw P/B Henley & PartnersRow 72 - Cell 2
74FrantišEk Sisr (Cze) Ccc Sprandi PolkowiceRow 73 - Cell 2
75Maciej Paterski (Pol) Ccc Sprandi PolkowiceRow 74 - Cell 2
76Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Lotto Nl - JumboRow 75 - Cell 2
77Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Team Lotto Nl - JumboRow 76 - Cell 2
78Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse LoterijRow 77 - Cell 2
79Davide Martinelli (Ita) Quick - Step FloorsRow 78 - Cell 2
80Pieter Weening (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse LoterijRow 79 - Cell 2
81Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb0:00:46
82Pieter Serry (Bel) Quick - Step Floors0:00:59
83Stepan Kuriyanov (Rus) Gazprom - RusveloRow 82 - Cell 2
84Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise0:01:04
85Kamil Malecki (Pol) Ccc Sprandi PolkowiceRow 84 - Cell 2
86Jan Hugger (Ger) 0711 / CyclingRow 85 - Cell 2
87Philipp Mamos (Ger) Team Dauner D&Dq AkkonRow 86 - Cell 2
88Dominik Bauer (Ger) Team Dauner D&Dq AkkonRow 87 - Cell 2
89Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data For QhubekaRow 88 - Cell 2
90Richard Weinzheimer (Ger) Team Lotto - Kern HausRow 89 - Cell 2
91Max Wörner (Ger) 0711 / CyclingRow 90 - Cell 2
92Tobias Nolde (Ger) Rad-Net Rose TeamRow 91 - Cell 2
93Frederik Einhaus (Ger) Team Lotto - Kern HausRow 92 - Cell 2
94Piotr Brozyna (Pol) Ccc Sprandi PolkowiceRow 93 - Cell 2
95Joann Leinau (Ger) Team Sauerland Nrw P/B Henley & PartnersRow 94 - Cell 2
96Umberto Poli (Ita) Team Novo NordiskRow 95 - Cell 2
97Lennard Kämna (Ger) Team SunwebRow 96 - Cell 2
98Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Wb Veranclassic Aquality Protect0:01:20
99Emiel Planckaert (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 98 - Cell 2
100Henrik Hamm (Ger) 0711 / Cycling0:01:32
101Patrick Lechner (Ger) Bike Aid0:01:36
102Roberto Vukovic (Ger) Team Sauerland Nrw P/B Henley & Partners0:01:46
103Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Team Katusha Alpecin0:01:50
104Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Bora - Hansgrohe0:01:55
105Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Team Dimension DataRow 104 - Cell 2
106Daniel Bichlmann (Ger) Bike AidRow 105 - Cell 2
107Yannick Mayer (Ger) 0711 / CyclingRow 106 - Cell 2
108Viktor Müller (Ger) Team Sauerland Nrw P/B Henley & PartnersRow 107 - Cell 2
109Thomas Deruette (Bel) Wb Veranclassic Aquality ProtectRow 108 - Cell 2
110Alexandre Ballet (Swi) 0711 / CyclingRow 109 - Cell 2
111Michal Paluta (Pol) Ccc Sprandi PolkowiceRow 110 - Cell 2
112Patryk Stosz (Pol) Ccc Sprandi PolkowiceRow 111 - Cell 2
113Philip Weber (Ger) Lkt Team BrandenburgRow 112 - Cell 2
114Paul Rudys (Ger) Lkt Team BrandenburgRow 113 - Cell 2
115Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team SunwebRow 114 - Cell 2
116Artur Ershov (Rus) Gazprom - RusveloRow 115 - Cell 2
117Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora - HansgroheRow 116 - Cell 2
118Jonas Härtig (Ger) Team Sauerland Nrw P/B Henley & PartnersRow 117 - Cell 2
119Jens Wallays (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 118 - Cell 2
120Carl Soballa (Ger) Lkt Team BrandenburgRow 119 - Cell 2
121Tony Martin (Ger) Team Katusha AlpecinRow 120 - Cell 2
122Marco Mathis (Ger) Team Katusha AlpecinRow 121 - Cell 2
123Adne Van Engelen (Ned) Bike AidRow 122 - Cell 2
124Mathias Van Gompel (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 123 - Cell 2
125Mateusz Taciak (Pol) Ccc Sprandi PolkowiceRow 124 - Cell 2
126Kersten Thiele (Ger) Rad-Net Rose TeamRow 125 - Cell 2
127Johannes Adamietz (Ger) Team HeizomatRow 126 - Cell 2
128Louis Leinau (Ger) Team Sauerland Nrw P/B Henley & PartnersRow 127 - Cell 2
129Piotr Havik (Ned) Team Katusha Alpecin0:02:06
130Lukas Löer (Ger) Team Dauner D&Dq Akkon0:02:49
131Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Lotto Nl - Jumbo0:02:59
132Tom Dernies (Bel) Wb Veranclassic Aquality Protect0:03:07
133Dorian Lübbers (Ger) Team HeizomatRow 132 - Cell 2
134Pascal Treubel (Ger) Team Heizomat0:06:05
135Luca Henn (Ger) Team Lotto - Kern HausRow 134 - Cell 2
DNFAlbert Timmer (Ned) Team SunwebRow 135 - Cell 2
DNFAdrien Niyonshuti (Rwa) Team Dimension DataRow 136 - Cell 2
DNFJens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 137 - Cell 2
DNSPrzemyslaw Kasperkiewicz (Pol) An Post Chain ReactionRow 138 - Cell 2
DNFTim Declercq (Bel) Quick - Step FloorsRow 139 - Cell 2
DNFMartijn Keizer (Ned) Team Lotto Nl - JumboRow 140 - Cell 2
DNFAnton Vorobyev (Rus) Gazprom - RusveloRow 141 - Cell 2
DNFSergey Nikolaev (Rus) Gazprom - RusveloRow 142 - Cell 2
DNFAndrei Solomennikov (Rus) Gazprom - RusveloRow 143 - Cell 2
DNFDanilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 144 - Cell 2
DNFRobin Stenuit (Bel) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 145 - Cell 2
DNFEtienne Van Empel (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse LoterijRow 146 - Cell 2
DNFRuben Pols (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 147 - Cell 2
DNFStephen Clancy (Irl) Team Novo NordiskRow 148 - Cell 2
DNFMehdi Benhamouda (Fra) Team Novo NordiskRow 149 - Cell 2
DNFQuentin Valognes (Fra) Team Novo NordiskRow 150 - Cell 2
DNFHendrikus Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) Team Novo NordiskRow 151 - Cell 2
DNFSébastien Delfosse (Bel) Wb Veranclassic Aquality ProtectRow 152 - Cell 2
DNFFrederik Hähnel (Ger) Lkt Team BrandenburgRow 153 - Cell 2
DNFMalte Jürß (Ger) Lkt Team BrandenburgRow 154 - Cell 2
DNFSven Reutter (Ger) Rad-Net Rose TeamRow 155 - Cell 2
DNFLukas Ortner (Ger) Rad-Net Rose TeamRow 156 - Cell 2
DNFMarco Müller-Sciacca (Ger) Team Dauner D&Dq AkkonRow 157 - Cell 2
DNFJan Van Puyvelde (Ger) Team Dauner D&Dq AkkonRow 158 - Cell 2
DNFTobias Knaup (Ger) Team Lotto - Kern HausRow 159 - Cell 2
DNFJonas Rutsch (Ger) Team Lotto - Kern HausRow 160 - Cell 2
DNFLuca Felix Happke (Ger) Team Sauerland Nrw P/B Henley & PartnersRow 161 - Cell 2
DNFLaurin Winter (Ger) Team HeizomatRow 162 - Cell 2
DNFSimon Redmers (Ger) Team HeizomatRow 163 - Cell 2
DNFTimo Schäfer (Ger) Bike AidRow 164 - Cell 2
DNFMatthias Schnapka (Ger) Bike AidRow 165 - Cell 2

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