Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) secured his third stage win on the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, attacking on the quick last Mont Cassel climb whereas sporting the general chief’s jersey. The Irishman gained the stage and prolonged his lead within the general classification.
Bennett was the quickest of the 5 riders who sprinted for the end line leaving Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ) in second, Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto Dstny) in third place, Luca Van Boven (Bingoal WB) in fourth and Alexandre Delettre (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) in fifth on the day.
Bennett leads the general classification into the stage 6 last on Sunday, 28 seconds forward of Penhoët and 31 seconds forward of Berckmoes.
The fifth stage at 4 Jours de Dunkerque was a 179.1km race from Arques to Cassel. It included a gap 60km after which 9 ending circuits, which included cobbled sectors, three ascents on every lap, and a end on Mont Cassel.
In the opening kilometres, three riders, Fausto Masnada (Soudal-FastStep), Jeremy Lecroq (St Michel-Mavis-Auber93), and Enzo Leijnse (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), shaped a small hole.
The hole opened to 3 minutes on a trio of chasers: Rait Ärm (Van Rysel-Roubaix), Gwen Leclainche (Philippe Wagner/Bazin), and Enzo Boulet (CIC U Nantes Atlantique), after which 5 minutes on the principle subject with 120km to go.
While the peloton caught the chase group as they entered the circuits with 112km to go, the breakaway continued to take care of its hole.
Masnada attacked his companions inside 70km, opening a small five-second lead on Leijnse and 25 seconds on Lecroq. And with the trio refusing to work collectively, the peloton slashed the hole to beneath three minutes.
The peloton led by Israel-Premier Tech swept up Leijnse and Lecroq at 47km to go, and Masnada was quickly reeled in with 35km to go.
The late-race assaults started, which led the way in which to a different breakaway that included Samuel Watson (Groupama-FDJ), Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-FastStep), Thomas Gachignard (TotalEnergies), Joris Delbove (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93), Alexis Guerin (Philippe Wagner/Bazin).
The 5 riders held 20 seconds on the run-in to the end as Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale pulled the peloton into the ultimate eight kilometres.
The attackers have been caught inside the ultimate two kilometres and a decreased subject barreled into the ultimate ascent. Overall race chief Bennett launched his assault, shortly adopted by Penhoët, Van Boven, Delettre, and Berckmoes.
Bennett proved to be the strongest of the late-race breakaway and sprinted for the stage victory in Cassel.
Results
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