Preview Münsterland Giro 2024 | Will Kooij's absence lead to a Philipsen-Milan showdown?

On the Day of German Unity, October 3, the Münsterland Giro has consistently taken place in recent years. This race originated in 2006 as a successor to Groningen-Münster, which had to be discontinued due to economic reasons at the Dutch starting location. From 2006 onward, it became a purely German race, although there was a start in Enschede again in 2021.

Nonetheless, Dutch riders and teams continue to enjoy coming to Münster. In the past two seasons, Jumbo-Visma has triumphed in the German student city, with Olav Kooij as the sprinter in 2022 and Norwegian Per Strand Hagenes as the attacker in 2023. Hagenes, who became a full-time pro with the team this year, managed to fend off Kaden Groves and Mads Pedersen with a late attack.

2023 Per Strand Hagenes
2022 Olav Kooij
2021 Mark Cavendish
2020 Not ridden
2019 Alvaro Hodeg
2018 Max Walscheid
2017 Sam Bennett
2016 John Degenkolb
2015 Tom Boonen
2014 André Greipel

Last year, the organization of the Münsterland Giro opted for a fairly hilly route starting from Osnabrück, but this season it seems to lean more towards the sprinters. The race will kick off in the market square of Haltern am See, after which the riders will make a loop around Heiden to reach Coesfeld. There will also be a local circuit with two climbs: the Coesfelder Berg (0.7 km at 4.7%) and the Daruper Berg (0.9 km at 5.4%).

With 55 kilometers to go, the peloton will arrive in Darfeld, from where they will head straight to Münster on flat roads. In the central city, there are three local laps to tackle before we find out who will be crowned the successor to Per Strand Hagenes on the Day of German Unity after just over 200 kilometers of racing.

Climbs
89.5 km: Coesfelder Berg (0.7 km at 4.7%)
111.0 km: Daruper Berg (0.9 km at 5.4%)
123.5 km: Coesfelder Berg (0.7 km at 4.7%)
144.5 km: Daruper Berg (0.9 km at 5.4%)
154.5 km: Hotel Weissenburg (0.9 km at 2.6%)

Weather
The weather in Germany hasn't been great this week, but Thursday seems to be shaping up reasonably well. With a temperature of 14 degrees Celsius and some sunshine, it could be quite pleasant, although the wind blowing from Haltern am See to Münster is expected to be a headwind.

The sprinters are set to tackle a course that suits them well, which is evident in the impressive participant list for this 1.Pro race. Visma | Lease a Bike will feature title defender Per Strand Hagenes at the start. The young Norwegian may even be the lead rider for the Killer Bees, as 2022 winner Olav Kooij has had to end his season early due to injury.

Kooij won’t be getting an easy ride, as German sponsors Alpecin (Jasper Philipsen), Lidl (Jonathan Milan), and BORA-hansgrohe (Jordi Meeus) are also bringing their fast riders to Haltern am See. In recent years, these teams have not managed to claim victory, but each is eager to change that narrative. Milan, in particular, might be the biggest contender, although he hasn’t raced since his disappointing European Championships.

Biniam Girmay, the green jersey winner at the Tour de France, will also be at the start line representing Intermarché-Wanty. Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) is competing as well; can he end his season on a high note after recovering from his collarbone injury during the Renewi Tour? Fabio Jakobsen has also been added to the participant list by dsm-firmenich PostNL!

You can sense some uncertainty among the stronger climbers, such as Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny), Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step), and Marius Mayrhofer (Tudor), who may also feel the pressure.

To complete the lineup of fast riders, we’ll also see Ethan Vernon, Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech), Arnaud Démare (Arkéa - B&B Hotels), Max Walscheid (Jayco AlUla), Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X), Milan Fretin (Cofidis), and Jason Tesson (TotalEnergies) in the mix.

Top favorites: Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Outsiders: Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty)

The Münsterland Giro can be followed live on Thursday via Eurosport 1, which will come at 4 p.m. with live coverage of the final hour and a half of racing. HBO Max will presumably be there a little earlier.