Artem Schmidt (Netcompany Ineos) pulled off a fine heist at the Classique Dunkerque, launching a solo raid on the finishing circuit to upset the sprinters and win alone.
The 22-year-old US time trial champion took flight on the first passage of the uphill drag that led to the finish line, crossing it with a small advantage over the rest of the bunch.
By the time he’d returned, after a local loop of 13.7km, he was alone, having caught and dropped the final remaining breakaway rider and having put an enormous gap between himself and the peloton.
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That gap reduced rapidly as Schmidt tied up and pedaled squares on that same uphill drag inside the final few hundred metres, but he’d done enough to spread his arms as he crossed the line.
A few seconds later, Pierre Gautherat (Decathlon CMA CGM) mopped up for second place, with Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) claiming the final spot on the podium.
The victory is the first for Schmidt outside of that national TT title he claimed last year, marking his first success on European soil in his second season as a professional.
The second edition of the Classique Dunkerque took place in miserable conditions, with leaden skies, persistent rain, and stiff winds. The largely flat route measured just under 200km, starting in Dunkerque and heading south and then east to Mont-Saint-Eloi, where one lap of a 13.7km finishing circuit awaited.
The day’s breakaway went from the gun and comprised three riders: Van Rysel-Roubaix’s Leandre Huck plus the CIC Pro Cycling Academy duo of Axel Mariault and Jonas Walton. Their lead extended to six minutes in the early phases, but the likes of Cofidis and Lotto-Intermarché had things well under control and it fell steadily as the race went on.
Walton, a victim of a mechanical, was the first to drop with 46km to go. Later, with 25km to go, Huck had to relent, apparently running on empty as he tried to grab supplies from the neutral service vehicle.
In truth, it was a quiet day in dreary conditions until Schmidt suddenly brought the race to life. The final kilometre featured a stinging uphill kicker, and as the peloton reached it for the first time, the US rider launched a huge attack. A few riders tried to go with him, and the gaps were small, but Schmidt threw everything at the twisting downhill that started the circuit and managed to stay clear as the others were wound back in.
His approach to the treacherously wet corners paid dividends. When he caught the last breakaway survivor, Mariault, the Frenchman had the legs to cling to his wheel on the straights but was dumped through the corners of what was a fairly technical circuit in places.
Schmidt combined technique with power, and with 5km to go, he had opened a remarkable gap of 45 seconds over the peloton. Victory was surely his, but there was drama to the last as he hit that final drag again and all his speed drained away. This time, he appeared to be suffering and had to grind his way slowly towards the line as the bunch roared up from behind, but he’d done enough and was able to hang on and enjoy his moment as he crossed the line for his first European victory of what is a highly promising career.
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