Tom Boonen of Etixx Quick Step has won the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro in Germany.
This annual German one-day race took place on a 179.9km course from Ibbenbüren to Münster and after an hour, five riders were in a break with a a lead of 4.15 with Giant Alpecin and Etixx Quick Step trying to close them down.
With twelve kilometres to go, they succeeded and in Münster, Tom Boonen (Etixx – Quick Step) won the bunch sprint in a 4.10.23 ahead of Roy Jans of Wanty-Groupe, Niklas Arndt of Giant Alpecin, Andre Looij of Team Roompot and Marcel Sieberg of Lotto Soudal with Ireland's Sam Bennett in eleventh place and British rider Scott Thwaites in 61st place.
A delighted Boonen said: "It was a nice race, with a lot of corners and a few cobblestone sections.
"So it was a good, technical parcours. We controlled the entire race as a team, with the help of a couple other teams in the peloton. In the final Tony Martin tried to attack, in both the penultimate and last lap of the circuit. However, the peloton caught him. So we prepared for the sprint.
"The benefit of the circuit was that we saw the finish a few times. So when I entered into a right-hand corner inside the final kilometer, I anticipated and entered from the outside, so I could maintain a high level of speed as I exited.
"I then launched at around 300 metres to go. I went full gas with the speed I maintained through the corner, and I won. It's always a good feeling to win, and it is proof my condition is there.
I now go to Abu Dhabi Tour. I hope to do well there, and try to contest a couple sprints. We'll see what can happen."