Overview

• The 202.6 km opener from Essen to Herford ended in a mass sprint decided by millimeters, with Matthew Brennan edging Jonathan Milan.
• Danny van Poppel pulled on the blue jersey by finishing third and leading on countback over Samuel Watson and Brennan, with Wout van Aert one second back.
• The overall standings are extremely tight, with the top ten riders separated by just five seconds.
• Friday’s Stage 2 runs roughly 190.3 km from Herford to Arnsberg with multiple climbs, including sections near the Hermannsdenkmal, and is billed as the race’s queen stage.
• Tour de France podium finisher Florian Lipowitz rode as a helper for Red Bull–BORA-hansgrohe, fetching bottles and staying out of the sprint battle.