The Dutchman crossed the line first, but was stripped of the win for irregular sprinting.
Another stage at the Tour de Pologne, another day animated by three escapees, another hectic bunch gallop, this time in Zabrze, where the peloton had to cover four laps of a flat 6.2km-long circuit. But before that, they kicked off the stage from the Slaski Stadium in Chorzow, which got to host also the first intermediate sprint, before the riders returned on the roads and headed out to the small town in the Silesia region.
Deceuninck – Quick-Step were among the teams prominent at the front, sharing the workload and making sure the attackers would be reeled in before the flamme rouge. Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne victor Bob Jungels took the helm of the bunch and put it a mammoth pull, stretching out the field and making sure Fabio Jakobsen would be in a good position for the sprint. The 22-year-old Dutch National Champion had an impressive acceleration and won the stage, but was later relegated by the commissaires, who awarded the victory to Pascal Ackermann (Tour de Pologne).
The race continues on Tuesday with the 173.3km hilly stage 4 between Jaworzno and Kocierz.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen/ Getty Images
