It was close for Dylan Groenewegen today, during the Cyclassics in Hamburg. The sprint, in which the Amsterdammer had to come from a great distance, didn’t last long enough. Team LottoNL-Jumbo's 24-year-old rider came close but it he couldn't win. Groenewegen ended third, behind Elia Viviani and Arnaud Démare. For Groenewegen, this result meant his first podium place in a classic.

The fact that Groenewegen was Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s main asset became clear during the course. The team controlled the course as much as possible. Sports director Merijn Zeeman: "With Martijn Keizer at the head of the peloton, we managed to catch the escapees in time. Later, there was a hectic period when we lost Jos van Emden because of a crash. We have not seen the perfect sprint train today. It's something that didn't come unexpected in a race with such a strong entry. Dylan had a strong sprint, but two riders were better today. Next year Groenewegen will return, and win", Zeeman said.

"If I continue to race like this, that would indeed be the logical result", Groenewegen said afterwards. But he’d rather put his arms in the air today, he admitted. "It was hectic in the end, which resulted in me sprinting from far. You can keep on talking about it afterwards, but it doesn't change anything. My legs felt good, and that's good news regarding the upcoming races", Groenewegen said.