Olav Kooij wins 2026 Sparkassen Münsterland Giro

Dutch sprinter Olav Kooij of Decathlon CMA CGM won the 20th edition of the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro, marking his second victory in this race after his 2022 win. Following a 190.7-kilometer route from Borken to Münster, Kooij secured the win in a mass sprint, finishing ahead of Jordi Meeus of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Frits Biesterbos of Team Picnic-PostNL.

The race featured several tactical moves, including an early six-man breakaway and attempts by Visma | Lease a Bike to change the race dynamic in the Baumbergen region. The breakaway was eventually neutralized approximately five kilometers before the finish line.

Notable moments included a technical issue for Jasper Philipsen, the winner of the previous two editions, who had to change his bike but successfully rejoined the peloton. The event also served as the professional retirement race for Maximilian Walscheid, who finished 12th. Additionally, Fabio Jakobsen made his debut in the Visma | Lease a Bike jersey, finishing 15th/16th.