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Sam Bennett went back-to-back with stage wins at 4 Jours de Dunkerque as his Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale delivered a long-range lead out for the stage 3 victory in Bouchain.
Clad within the race chief’s pink jersey, Bennett held off an acceleration from Milan Fretin (Cofidis) because the stage 1 winner completed second and held his second-overall place behind the Irishman.
Amaury Capiot (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) took third place within the bunch dash, forward of Nils Eekhoff (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech).
“They had been improbable,” Bennett stated about his workforce to usher him to the ultimate dash. “The factor about sprinting is it typically doesn’t go to plan. We had a unique plan right now. The guys confirmed the maturity right now and their expertise. They had been in a position to make fast selections when it wasn’t going proper, and that’s what it’s all about. We proceed that course of the place we get that move, and hopefully, there’s extra outcomes to return.”
Narrow roads with 4km to go had Team dsm-firmenich PostNL on the entrance of the race, and so they elevated the tempo, boxing out Decathlon AG23R La Mondiale. The path widened with 2.5km to go, and that’s when Bennett’s workforce pushed up the fitting facet to launch Bennett with 500 metres to go.
Bennett added extra cushion to his GC lead over Fretin, now eight seconds. Capiot moved up 4 spots to 3rd total, tied with three different riders artwork 18 seconds again.
How it unfolded
Starting in Saint-Laurent-Blangy, the comparatively flat day of 165.1km led to Bouchain and a ending circuit ripe for the sprinters. The first half of the route dips to the south and takes in three categorized climbs – Havrincourt, Guyencourt-Saulcout and Vendhuile – then makes an abrupt northerly flip at Bohain-En-Verdandois to the place the ultimate two of three intermediate sprints result in the end circuit to Bouchain.
The early breakaway of 4 riders moved away with 28km to the bottom of the primary climb at Havrincourt (1km at 3.8%) – Kenny Molly (Van Rysel-Roubaix), Antoine Hue (CIC-U-Nantes Atlantique), Gwen Laclainche (Philippe Wagner-Bazin) and Fabio Christen (Q36.5 Pro Cycling). It was a return to the break for Hue and Laclainche from the opening day.
The quartet opened a margin of two:21 throughout the following set of climbs, the brief Guyencourt-Saulcout and Vendhuile, each at one-half a kilometre and the gradient not more than 2.5%, Lechlainche taking sufficient factors to place him within the mountain classification lead.
Across the descent 100km remained with a trio of intermediate sprints on the flat roads forward, now moist from rain, and the 4 labored collectively with out speedy alarm from behind.
Christen fell again into the peloton with 50km to go, Cofidis and Arkéa-B&B Hotels starting to choose up the chase on the entrance. Hue then known as for his workforce automobile for a motorcycle change, dropping momentum, or inspiration, and he additionally dropped from the breakaway altogether.
With the bell ringing to sign the beginning of the circuit and 29km remaining for the end, the peloton crossed the Sensée River in Bouchain with the lead duo of Molly and Lechlainche solely 29 seconds forward.
With 10.5km to go on roads nonetheless moist from the sooner rain, the breakaway disappeared, and the sprinters’ groups started to set the queue for the ultimate push, Soudal-QuickStep, ToralEnergies and Arkéa-B&B Hotels taking the entrance, and race chief Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG23R La Mondiale) tucked shut behind.
Once the peloton moved throughout some slim roads with 4km to go, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL elevated the tempo on the entrance.
Exiting a big site visitors circle, a number of riders hit the tarmac on the fitting facet of the swooping flip. But Decathlon AG23R La Mondiale stayed alert and delivered Bennett to a second victory within the six-day race.
Results
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