Démare wins Binche-Chimay-Binche

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Arnaud Demare made an important statement of intent ahead of the World Championships with a well-timed and executed victory at Binche-Chimay-Binche.

After Nacer Bouhanni took victory at the Tour de Vendee on Sunday, Demare made his own case for leadership of the French team in Doha next month, outsprinting Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep) as a cobbled climb shattered the bunch in the final kilometre.

Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Soudal) finished third, several seconds back, alongside Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), after a quartet emerged on the climb under the impetus of the Olympic champion. Stybar was the only one able to respond when Demare made a long-range bid for victory but, with a slight downhill run to the line, he was never able to get on terms.

"It was a strange sprint – I knew we had a corner before the finish and decided to launch my sprint going into the corner," said Demare. "The team worked really well and I knew I was in good shape."

Having been named alongside Bouhanni in the French Worlds team, with tensions long having existed between the pair, Demare picked a good time to collect his first victory since June's Route du Sud.

"We're both in good form, both have good legs at the moment. We'll see what happens, but I think we'll work well together," said Demare diplomatically.

The 29th edition of Binche-Chimay-Binche, the Belgian race first held in 1911, featured a relatively benign out-and-back route to and from Chimay, with the racing coming to the boil on the four laps of a 16km finishing circuit.

Lars Bak (Lotto Soudal) and Vegard Stake Laengen (IAM) formed a two-up breakaway and stayed away until the start of the final lap, where the attacks began to kick off in earnest in the bunch.

A seven-man move, made up of Jens Debuscherre (Lotto Soudal), Fernando Gaviria (Etixx-QuickStep), Marco Marcato (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Jempy Drucker (BMC), Oliver Naesen (IAM), Preben Van Hecke (Topsprot Vlaanderen-Baloise), and Huub Duijn (Roompot), looked dangerous with a small gap for a while, but a lack of commitment saw it come to nought.

With six kilometres to go Cofidis' Kenneth Van Bilsen went for an optimistic solo effort but he was soon caught, and the bunch would enter the final kilometre all together.

Van Avermaet, keen not to let it come down to a mass sprint, took command on the cobbles and drove the pace, and by the top a quartet had formed, with Demare, Stybar, and Roelandts in attendance. The Olympic champion's legs were still reeling from the climb, and only Stybar could react when Demare pinged off from range.

With a slight downhill ahead of the line, Stybar was never able to get back on terms and Demare punched the air in what will be a big boost to the confidence.

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